Hungary’s Orban calls Putin, drawing scorn from Ukraine

MOSCOW - Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the Ukraine conflict in a call on Dec 11, drawing scorn from Ukraine which said the overture undermined “unity”.

“There was a thorough exchange of views on Ukrainian issues,” the Kremlin said, in its readout of the call, adding that Mr Putin said Kyiv had adopted a “destructive” position that ruled out a peace agreement.

The call was initiated at Mr Orban’s request, the Kremlin said, and came a day after Budapest’s top diplomat said Hungary would forge ahead with its self-styled Ukraine “peace mission”.

“Viktor Orban expressed interest in assisting the joint search for political-diplomatic paths to resolve the crisis,” the Kremlin said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticised Mr Orban for making the call.

“No one should boost personal image at the expense of unity, everyone should focus on shared success. Unity in Europe has always been key to achieving it,” he said, in a post on X.

Mr Orban met US president-elect Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate earlier this week, as the Republican pushes for a speedy end to the conflict.

The Hungarian leader - the closest political partner of both Trump and Mr Putin in the European Union - has repeatedly called for peace talks and refused to send military aid to Ukraine since Russia launched its offensive in February 2022.

He infuriated fellow EU leaders in July

by conducting breakaway diplomacy with Russia to explore a path to ending the conflict, just days after taking over the bloc’s rotating six-month presidency.

Mr Orban and Mr Putin also discussed energy projects, the Kremlin said.

To the frustration of Brussels, Budapest remains a major buyer of Russian energy almost three years after Moscow ordered troops into Ukraine. AFP