Orban’s Secretive Moscow Trip Sparks EU Anger As Hungary Deepens Dependence On Russian Energy

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief

MOSCOW/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Hungary’s prime minister has returned from a controversial trip to Moscow where he asked his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, for secure deliveries of oil and natural gas despite attempts by the European Union to isolate Russia over its war in Ukraine.

A visibly pleased Putin said Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was “always welcome,” and added he would still be happy for Budapest to host a Russia–U.S. summit with former President Donald J. Trump.

Orbán’s trip to Moscow, first reported by Worthy News and a few other outlets, was initially clouded in secrecy, with Hungary’s government reluctant to confirm the visit.

The Hungarian leader — seen by many as one of the EU’s most outspoken pro-Kremlin politicians — had already been criticized by Brussels over prior meetings with Putin, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes including “the unlawful deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation.

ENERGY DEALS AND NUCLEAR AMBITIONS

The meeting focused heavily on energy issues. Putin told Orbán: “There are issues and problems in the field of energy that we need to discuss.” Orbán in turn emphasized that “Russia continues to have a strong influence on Hungary’s energy supply,” and expressed appreciation for the “reliability of Russian deliveries.”

Hungary still receives most of its oil through the Druzhba (“Friendship”) pipeline and natural gas via TurkStream.

At the same time, nuclear energy remains a key pillar of Hungary’s strategy. Budapest is pushing ahead with expansion of its Russian-built Paks Nuclear Power Plant through Rosatom, even as the Court of Justice of the European Union recently annulled the EU’s earlier approval on procurement grounds.

In November, Hungary signed a new deal with the United States to buy American nuclear fuel and U.S. technology for storing spent fuel at Paks I — which Budapest says complements, rather than replaces, its cooperation with Russia.

Yet Orbán insisted after returning from Moscow that “Russian energy carriers will remain the backbone of Hungary’s energy supply in the future.”

EU CRITICISM AND GEOPOLITICAL FALLOUT

The visit deepened tensions between Budapest and Brussels, where EU officials warned that Hungary’s close ties with Moscow undermine bloc-wide unity on sanctions and military support for Ukraine. Orbán has frequently questioned Western weapons deliveries to Kyiv and has urged a rapid ceasefire.

Putin greeted Orbán warmly at the Kremlin for what was their 14th meeting, praising Hungary’s “balanced” position on the war. Bilateral trade, he said, had fallen 23 percent in 2024 due to “external restrictions” but recovered seven percent this year.

Orbán said he wanted detailed talks on Russian oil and gas supplies, calling them “vital for Hungary’s energy security.” He added that the Moscow trip was aimed at ensuring affordable supplies “this winter and next year.”

The prime minister’s meeting followed a friendly visit to Washington earlier in November, where he met U.S. President Donald J. Trump. At the White House, Orbán secured an exemption for Hungary to continue purchases of Russian oil and natural gas despite Trump’s sanctions targeting Russian energy giants such as Lukoil and Rosneft.

Hungary imported 8.5 million metric tons of crude oil and more than 7 billion cubic meters of natural gas from Russia this year, its Foreign Ministry said.

WAR INTENSIFIES AS PEACE TALKS LOOM

The Putin–Orbán talks occurred as Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, prepared to meet Putin in Moscow next week in what Washington calls a renewed push toward a ceasefire. “We very much hope that the peace proposals on the table will lead to a ceasefire and peace,” Orbán told reporters.

However, as the meeting was underway, clashes continued. Russia said its air defenses intercepted 136 Ukrainian drones overnight across several regions, damaging homes and vehicles in Rostov and Voronezh. The Ukrainian military claimed strikes on an oil refinery in Saratov and attacks on Russian air-defense units and drone depots in occupied territories.

Ukraine’s Air Force later announced it had detected multiple Russian missiles targeting the Khmelnytskyi region, including at least one Kinzhal aero-ballistic missile.

Early Saturday, Russian attacks struck Kyiv and the southern city of Dnipro, injuring at least four people and damaging residential buildings across several districts of the capital, local authorities said. Explosions were also reported in Dnipro.

Still, Ukrainian peace negotiators are due to meet U.S. counterparts in America this weekend, followed by a U.S. delegation’s planned trip to Moscow next week for talks with Putin.

BROADER STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS ALSO SEEN

Orbán, who maintains warm relations with Trump, had been set to host a Trump–Putin summit in Budapest in October before the U.S. leader withdrew, saying he did not want “a waste of time.”

With peace talks underway, Budapest still prepares for a possible Trump–Putin meeting, with Hungary refusing to meet the ICC’s request for Putin’s arrest.

And while Europe reduces reliance on Russian fossil fuels, Hungary has expanded imports and opposed EU plans to phase out all Russian energy by 2027. Orbán argues that replacing Russian supplies would cause economic collapse — a claim critics say ignores available alternatives.

With nuclear, gas and oil discussions intensifying while peace diplomacy unfolds simultaneously, Orbán’s Moscow visit underscored Hungary’s controversial position inside the EU — as well as its deepening strategic dependence on Russia.

Hungary denies wrongdoing saying that while having crucial ties with Russia, it also wants to see an end to the war in Ukraine that began with Moscow’s full-scale invasion in February 2022 and has since killed and injured more than one million people, according to several estimates.

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