This Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin received in the same Kremlin the European leader with whom he has the greatest understanding, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. The atmosphere in the palace in the heart of Moscow was relaxed: nothing like it … The long table at which Macron sat in 2022, just before the war. In times of sanctions and tension between Brussels and Moscow, the Hungarian state has been the most reluctant (along with Slovakia) to impose sanctions on Russia and stop trade with the Eurasian country. The main topics on the table were the meeting between the Slavic leader and his American counterpart Donald Trump, which was scheduled in Budapest, and the relationship between Hungary and Russia.
“Our meeting today gives me the opportunity to confirm, Mr. President, that Hungary is ready to provide a platform for such negotiations and contribute to the successful completion of this process,” the guest said. Putin, who confirmed that the aforementioned meeting was not canceled but rather postponed, pointed this out “Russia thanks Hungary for its willingness to host Summit between Moscow and Washington in Budapest. The same Slavic leader suggested it was Trump’s idea. apostate
Cooperation between the two countries
They also commented on the cooperation between the two countries. The Central European country continues to happily buy Russian hydrocarbons, being one of the few countries that has not reduced the amount of Russian oil and gas it buys. But the host pointed out that “even in this area there are issues and problems that require discussion.” He explained that the decline in trade between Hungary and Russia “was due to external restrictions, but this year there was a slight growth (…), but it is still higher than 7%.” The guest’s response showed the synergy between the two. “Hungary intends to continue cooperation with Russia and hopes that the interaction will greatly benefit the peoples of both countries,” were Orbán’s words.
Hungary’s position of avoiding arming Kiev and appearing “neutral” by its standards was a gesture greatly appreciated in Moscow.
He himself defended that despite what he called external pressures, his country maintains a “sovereignty policy,” and added that he hopes that “Budapest hopes to continue the dialogue with Moscow on energy issues.” He expressed regret over the current situation and confirmed Putin’s diagnosis. «The Hungarian economy suffered significant losses due to the conflict in Ukraine He explained that the trade embargo between the European Union and Russia “for these reasons was the Hungarian leader most resistant to European sanctions against Russia and was found in robert fico, Slovak leader, strong ally.
Hungary’s position of avoiding arming Kiev and appearing “neutral” by its standards was a gesture greatly appreciated in Moscow. In this regard, Putin said, “Moscow highlights Budapest’s balanced position on the Ukrainian issue.” For his part, Orban stressed that his country is very interested in “the successful completion of peace initiatives in Ukraine.”