Putin meets Orban in Moscow: As it happened

Orban met with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic a day earlier to discuss wider regional energy concerns. He said Hungary is considering purchasing Russia’s stake in Serbian oil company NIS, which risks US sanctions unless its ownership structure changes. The company controls Serbia’s only refinery, which has already struggled to source crude due to Western sanctions on Russian energy.

The administration of US President Donald Trump has targeted the Russian energy sector as part of its strategy to resolve the Ukraine conflict. Orban, whose country relies heavily on Russian energy, secured an exemption during his visit to Washington earlier this month.

The Hungarian prime minister has long been at odds with the EU’s approach of isolating Moscow diplomatically over the Ukraine conflict. His previous visit to Russia in 2024 during Hungary’s rotating EU presidency drew condemnation from pro-Kiev officials. The trip formed part of Orban’s wider “peace tour,” which also included stops in China, Ukraine, and the US.

The Kremlin has published a short clip showing Orban coming out of a car that brought him from the airport.

Another one showed Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto shaking hands with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov.

Orban has reiterated that energy cooperation tops his agenda for the trip.

Hungary’s use of Russian energy, which the Orban administration describes as vital to the country’s economic wellbeing, has been one of the key sticking points for Kiev. The Ukrainian government wants all Russian exports to stop and has repeatedly struck the Soviet-built Druzhba pipeline, which brings oil to consumers in Hungary.

Budapest has said the Ukrainian attacks undermine Hungary’s energy sovereignty. Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky said Hungary is the one damaging its friendship with Kiev, in reference to the meaning of the word ‘druzhba’ (friendship) in Russian. The Orban government refuses to supply weapons to Ukraine and opposes its bids to join the EU and NATO.

Ahead of his trip to Moscow, Orban accused the EU of obstructing US-Russia efforts to end the Ukraine conflict, saying Brussels is choosing confrontation over diplomacy.

Speaking at the Istvan Pastor Prize ceremony alongside Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Budapest on Thursday, Orban said Western Europe is “rapidly losing its remaining influence” by resisting emerging peace initiatives. “The Americans and the Russians are negotiating about the future, while the Brussels officials are waiting in the hallway, peeking through a keyhole,” he said.

A Kremlin pool reporter has published the first images of the Putin-Orban meeting.

Putin tells Orban he appreciates his pragmatic and balanced approach to foreign affairs, including the Ukraine conflict, and respects the fact that he puts Hungarian interests first.

“Our views on international relations may occasionally not coincide, but the spirit of our relations allows frank discussions of any issues,” the president said.

Orban says Hungary has not yielded to foreign pressure to suspend cooperation with Russia.

“We highly appreciate the stability and predictability of Russian energy supplies,” the prime minister said, adding that continuing trade is in Hungary’s interests.

Orban reiterated Budapest’s offer to host peace talks on Ukraine, saying the ongoing conflict is disruptive for economic relations. US initiatives aimed at resolving it will hopefully result in peace, he said.

“For almost four years we have continuously stood on the side of peace. Peace can only be achieved through negotiations and diplomacy. Closing diplomatic channels means giving up the hope of peace,” Szijjarto has said on X.

Putin thanks Orban for offering hospitality to foreign leaders, including after US President Donald Trump said his next in-person meeting with the Russian leader could take place in Budapest.

“That was Donald’s idea,” Putin said. “He told me: ‘We both have good relations with Hungary. You are on good terms with Viktor, and so am I.’ It was my pleasure to agree to the proposal.”

No date has been scheduled for the proposed summit, pending discussion of the end of the Ukraine conflict.

Kirill Dmitriev, an aide to Putin who is deeply involved in normalization talks with the US, has commented on Orban’s visit, saying he is “Europe’s voice of reason.”