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Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has concluded a controversial visit to Moscow, where he sought to seal an energy deal and maintain ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a move that pushes Hungary further out of the European consensus over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
While the EU insists Russia must pay for the damage it has caused to its neighbour, and is now making aggressive diplomatic efforts to sway US President Donald Trump in Kiev’s favor, Prime Minister Orbán has accused European countries of wanting to prolong the Ukraine war and insisted it cannot be won militarily.
The three-and-a-half-hour meeting between Mr. Orban and Mr. Putin was the fourth since Russia launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022, and he doubled down on his businesslike approach to Russia, sealing further energy deals even as the EU sought to cut ties with Russia.
“Hungary’s energy supply has been secured,” Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said after the visit.
Hungary visited the White House earlier this month to win a one-year exemption from wide-ranging US energy sanctions on Russian oil.
“Middle finger to Brussels”
Jakob Kierkegaard, an expert at the Bruegel think tank, said Orbán’s visit to Moscow could be seen as an act of hostility against the EU, arguing that Hungary was obstructing EU efforts to reach a fair peace deal with Ukraine.
By acting unilaterally, Budapest would undermine EU cohesion on key decisions such as weaning Russia from fossil fuels, maintaining pressure on Russia through sanctions, and integrating Ukraine’s economy into the EU.
“This is a middle finger to Brussels,” Kierkegaard said. “He is meeting with other EU countries’ biggest enemies to cement continuity in energy supplies, which goes directly against the EU’s plans to phase out Russian energy and undermines joint efforts between the two countries.”
Since the start of the full-scale invasion, President Orban has called for a ceasefire and peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, while opposing the transfer of funds from Europe to finance Ukraine’s military and economy. During a visit to the US this month, he accused EU leaders of being “pro-war”.
Kierkegaard said Hungary is an important European asset for Russia.
“This is about the polarization of the EU’s position on the Ukraine war and the European Union’s relations with Russia. Politically, this is definitely a very beneficial relationship and a kind of Trojan horse for President Putin within the EU.”
The EU is proposing to use approximately 140 billion euros of Russian state assets tied up in Europe to support Ukraine. Hungary opposes the plan.
Ahead of his visit to Moscow, Prime Minister Orban praised the controversial future peace plan negotiated between the United States and Russia without direct input from Ukraine or the European Union.
The plan was initially criticized by European countries as being too pro-Russian, but Hungary praised the initiative and called for a direct line of communication with Moscow.
Orbán received the US president’s support for re-election in exchange for public admiration for the Trump administration. President Trump described him as a great leader who puts the nation’s interests first and said he could count on his “100% support.”
