After marathon meeting with Putin, Orbán vows to preserve Hungary’s energy lifeline

After the meeting, Orbán reaffirmed that Russian energy carriers will remain the backbone of Hungary’s energy supply in the future. He praised the stability and predictability of Russian deliveries and stressed Hungary’s interest in continuing bilateral cooperation. It was already his 14th meeting with Putin, who, according to Orbán, understands that Hungary pursues a sovereign foreign policy. “We have not abandoned a single area of cooperation due to outside pressure,” the prime minister noted.

Hungary’s interest in peace in Ukraine is also well known in Moscow. Orbán expressed hope that the proposals currently on the table may lead to a ceasefire and eventually to peace. In this context, he reiterated Hungary’s readiness to host peace negotiations.

Putin thanked Orbán for responding positively to the idea of an American–Russian summit in Hungary. “This was Trump’s proposal, noting that Washington, like Moscow, maintains good relations with Budapest. We agreed to the idea with pleasure,” Putin said. However, he added that choosing Budapest as the venue would depend on the state of negotiations. He nevertheless thanked Orbán in advance for supporting the success of such a summit.

Putin described bilateral relations as pragmatic. “We have known each other personally for a very long time, and I know that your work always represents the interests of Hungary and the Hungarian people,” he said. While disagreements arise on international issues, an atmosphere has been created in which all open questions can be discussed frankly. He acknowledged Hungary’s “balanced” position on Ukraine.

Trade between the two countries fell by 23% last year, though it has already corrected upward by 7% this year. Despite strong cooperation in the energy sector, Putin acknowledged there are still issues that must be resolved. According to Kremlin information, the leaders’ talks lasted nearly four hours. Russia emphasized that Hungary imported roughly 5.4 billion cubic meters of natural gas in the first ten months of the year, compared to 8.6 billion in all of 2024. Moscow sees long-term pipeline deliveries as giving Hungary a competitive advantage over LNG.

Regarding oil, Russia keeps in mind that the EU granted Hungary an exemption from oil sanctions. After the lengthy talks, Putin personally accompanied Orbán to his limousine.

Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó commented that “lifting the U.S. sanctions now makes sense, since Russia confirmed it will uphold its delivery commitments for oil and gas. Hungary’s energy supply remains secure.” Oil delivery via the Druzhba pipeline (8.5 million tonnes so far this year) and gas delivery via TurkStream (over 7 billion cubic meters) is proceeding smoothly. The two sides also agreed to accelerate the expansion of the Paks nuclear plant—the first concrete will be poured on February 5.

Addressing critics of Orbán’s Kremlin visit, Szijjártó stressed that Hungary is a sovereign country whose foreign policy is guided by national interests. Cooperation with Russia is based on mutual respect and balance. Maintaining this cooperation is essential for Hungary’s energy security; abandoning it would go against the country’s fundamental interests.

Artificial intelligence was used for the translation of parts of the original German text.