Phone call with Orbán

Putin opens up about Ukrainian leadership

Orbán visited Putin in Moscow in the summer.(Bild: AFP/Alexander NEMENOV)

According to the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin has spoken to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán about the conflict in Ukraine. The Kremlin leader is said to have spoken out about the Ukrainian leadership.

The two "exchanged opinions" on the situation in Ukraine over the phone, the Kremlin announced in a statement in Moscow on Wednesday. According to the statement, Putin denounced the "destructive course of the regime in Kiev", which ruled out a "peaceful solution".

Orbán, in turn, stated that he would continue to seek a "political-diplomatic solution", in particular through his contacts with Western heads of state and government.

On Monday, the Hungarian Prime Minister spoke with US President-elect Donald Trump in Florida about Ukraine and continued his "peace mission" there, according to information from Budapest.

Hungary as a Russian mouthpiece
Orbán is Putin's closest ally in the EU. Since the start of the Russian offensive against Ukraine in February 2022, he has repeatedly called for peace talks and refused to send military aid to Ukraine. In July, he drew sharp criticism from EU partners with a self-declared "peace mission" and a visit to Putin in Moscow.

During their telephone conversation on Wednesday, Putin and Orbán also exchanged views on economic and trade cooperation, particularly in the energy sector, according to the Kremlin. Hungary continues to import around two thirds of its gas requirements from Russia.