Orban arrives for meeting with Putin today

Orbán to meet Putin today: oil, gas and war «unlikely to be avoided»

Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban will arrive in Moscow today to meet with Vladimir Putin. The photo shows them shaking hands during a previous meeting.

The main purpose of the trip

Orban said that the key issue of his visit would be Discussion of Russian oil and gas supplies. Energy cooperation with Russia remains a priority for Budapest, despite the EU's sanctions policy.

Will they talk about the war against Ukraine

When asked by journalists whether the topic of Russian aggression against Ukraine would be raised during the talks, Orban admitted: «It will hardly be possible to avoid it.».

This shows that the issue of war will be among the topics of the meeting, despite the official energy agenda.

Context.

• Hungary continues to deepen its cooperation with Russia in the energy sector, in particular in the supply of gas through the Turkish Stream and the construction of the Paks-2 nuclear power plant.

• Brussels has repeatedly criticised Orban for his pro-Russian stance and blocking EU decisions on Ukraine.

• The visit takes place against the backdrop of intensifying discussions in Europe about support for Kyiv and future sanctions pressure on Moscow.