Hungarian PM heads to Russia for talks with Putin

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has departed for Moscow, where he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on November 28.

Speaking to journalists at Budapest Airport before his flight, PM said he was going to Moscow to secure Hungary’s energy supply for the winter and the following year at an affordable price, Caliber.Az reports per Hungarian media.

Asked whether the talks would touch on a settlement in Ukraine, the prime minister replied: “We are unlikely to be able to avoid it.”

This is Orban’s third trip to Moscow since the Russian-Ukrainian war became a central issue: technically, the first of these trips took place before the outbreak of the war, on February 1, 2022, but even then Orban spoke of a peace mission. As is known, he was not successful.

However, this failure did not discourage Viktor Orban, and two and a half years later, he revived the peace mission.

During his Moscow visit on July 5, 2024, just three days after visiting Kyiv, Orban, who was then the rotating president of the Council of the European Union, spoke after he met with Putin about how “the Hungarian presidency considers the next six months and the work to be done during this period as a peace mission,” despite having no official mandate from the EU.

Hungary and Russia share a long, complex relationship shaped by history, energy dependence, and shifting geopolitics.

In recent years, under Viktor Orban’s leadership, Hungary’s policy toward Russia has drawn attention across Europe: Budapest often resists EU proposals to phase out Russian energy, citing national interest and energy security, leading many analysts to describe Hungary as maintaining a “Russia‑friendly” line despite Moscow’s war in Ukraine.

At the same time, this closeness to Moscow has created tension within the EU, as Hungary balances its obligations as an EU and NATO member with long‑standing ties to Russia — particularly in the energy and diplomatic spheres.

By Jeyhun Aghazada