Vladimir Putin applauded the Hungarian Prime Minister’s “balanced position” during their discussion on Ukraine, energy issues, and the potential for a peace summit in Budapest.
Russian President Vladimir Putin commended Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán for his “balanced position” on Ukraine as they met at the Kremlin on Friday, November 28th. Their talks centered on the conflict, energy security, and the possibility of Budapest hosting a future summit between the U.S. and Russia.
Putin expressed appreciation for Hungary’s “moderate stance” and thanked Orbán for his willingness to facilitate a meeting between himself and U.S. President Donald Trump in Budapest.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó shared on X that Putin confirmed his readiness to meet Trump in the Hungarian capital, noting the idea originated from Trump, who emphasized “we have good relations with Hungary,” and reiterated that both he and Putin maintain strong ties “with Viktor [Orbán]” as well.
🇭🇺 Peace Summit in Budapest 🇺🇸🇷🇺 pic.twitter.com/XH1f0QCy1D
— Péter Szijjártó (@FM_Szijjarto) November 28, 2025
The meeting in Moscow—Orbán’s second visit since last year—highlights the Hungarian leader’s unique position within the European Union. From the outset of the conflict, he has been the sole EU premier maintaining direct dialogue with Moscow and consistently advocating for peace talks instead of increased military support for Ukraine.
In contrast, Western European leaders and Brussels have chosen to strengthen the war effort with military aid, lacking a comprehensive plan for diplomatic solutions.
Much like Putin, Trump has praised Orbán’s separate diplomatic approach, as the U.S. president promotes his own peace initiative. Budapest has been designated as a future location for a U.S.-Russia summit, contingent upon agreement on Trump’s 28-point peace proposal.
While the EU currently aims to seize Russian assets to channel as reparations for Ukraine, it is displeased about being sidelined from peace negotiations, as Trump and Orbán seek to bring Moscow to the table.
On Thursday, Putin declared he would halt his Ukraine campaign if Kyiv relinquished territories Moscow claims, warning his forces would otherwise seize them by force.
Washington originally intended Kyiv to withdraw from the Donetsk region in the east and effectively recognize Donetsk, Crimea, and Lugansk as Russian, but reversed course following European criticism and has yet to publish a revised plan.
An important topic in Orbán’s talks with Russia remains energy. He remarked, “Energy supplies from Russia form the basis of Hungary’s energy supply now and will remain so in the future,” emphasizing that reliable oil and gas deliveries are vital for maintaining Hungary’s energy costs as the lowest in the EU.
Before the trip, Orbán announced he recently visited Washington to obtain an exemption from U.S. sanctions on Russian energy firms, stating on social media, “We succeeded.”
Now we must take the next step, guaranteeing that deliveries to Hungary continue without interruption. This is why I am going to Russia today: to make sure Hungary’s energy supply remains secure and affordable this winter and in the year ahead.
His political director, Balázs Orbán, cautioned that Europe was “steering onto an increasingly wartime course,” isolating itself from Russian energy while pushing new sanctions, accelerating Ukraine’s EU membership process, and risking an escalation into a larger Europe–Russia confrontation.
Hungary contends such measures damage European competitiveness and disregard the interests of EU citizens, especially as families across the bloc face surging energy expenses.
Original article: europeanconservative.com
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