Russian President Vladimir Putin received Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Moscow, on Friday. The two leaders held detailed talks on Russian oil and gas supplies.
Orban has described Russia's oil as “vital for Hungary’s energy security", despite being criticised by European leaders for purchasing it.
According to a statement by the Hungarian Foreign Ministry, the country imported 8.5 million metric tonnes of crude oil and more than 7 billion cubic metres of natural gas from Russia this year.
This was made possible after United States granted Hungary a sanctions exemption earlier this month to continue using Russian oil and gas. Orban successfully pressed his case during a friendly meeting with U.S President Donald Trump in Washington.
Putin described Hungary’s position on the Ukraine war as “balanced” and noted that bilateral trade, which had fallen by 23% last year due to “external restrictions”, recovered by 7% in 2025.
The Russian leader reportedly reaffirmed that he welcomed Budapest as the venue for the postponed Russia–U.S. summit with President Trump.
While on air, he mentioned the summit idea had come from Trump during their phone call on 16 October. "He immediately said: we have good relations with Hungary, you have good relations with Viktor (Orban), I suggest this option," Putin said.
After U.S. and Russian diplomats failed to reach agreement in preparatory talks, Trump announced that the meeting had been “cancelled for now”.
The Hungarian PM voiced hope that ongoing diplomatic efforts — including envoy Steve Witkoff’s planned meeting with Putin in Moscow next week — would advance negotiations to end the war. “We very much hope that the peace proposals on the table will lead to a ceasefire and peace,” Orban said.
Earlier on Facebook, Orban wrote that he was visiting Moscow “to ensure Hungary’s energy supply is secured for the winter and next year.”
The meeting marked a rare visit by an EU and NATO leader to Russia since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine.
Notably, Viktor Orban also met with Putin in Moscow, in July 2024. He is one of the few European leaders to continue visits to Russia amid the Ukraine conflict.
Last week, he reportedly said he would oppose continued EU support for Ukraine unless the bloc backed a 28-point peace plan supported by Trump, which imposes strict conditions on Kyiv.
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Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 30th of January, covering the latest developments you need to know.
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The U.S. Department of Justice on Friday made public more than three million pages of documents on Jeffrey Epstein, the late financier and convicted sex offender, including investigative records referencing Donald Trump, tech mogul Elon Musk and Britain’s former Duke of York, Prince Andrew.
The United Nations faces the risk of “imminent financial collapse” because of unpaid contributions, including substantial arrears from the United States, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned.
Vladimir Putin said Russia earned more than $15 billion from defence exports in 2025 and fulfilled all military-technical contracts despite what he described as growing pressure from Western countries.
Explosions shook parts of southern Lebanon on Friday night as Israeli strikes rippled across the Zahrani district, with the blasts travelling toward the coastal city of Sidon.
Israel has reopened Gaza’s Rafah border crossing with Egypt in what Israeli media described as a “pilot operation,” marking the first opening of the crossing in two years.
Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu has arrived in China for an official visit, where he is due to meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to discuss international and regional security issues, Russian state media reported on Sunday.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington may be able to reach a deal with Cuba, days after he threatened tariffs on any country supplying the island with oil.
Xi Jinping praised China–Algeria co-operation on Saturday following the successful launch of an Algerian remote sensing satellite from northwest China, calling it another milestone in bilateral space ties.
U.S. president Donald Trump said Iran is “seriously talking” with the United States and expressed hope that negotiations could lead to an outcome acceptable to Washington.
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