On Wednesday, April 6, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Hungarian portal 24.hu reported that Putin called to congratulate Orban on his victory in Hungary’s parliamentary elections held the previous Sunday.
In the same exchange, Orban proposed a meeting between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Budapest to address the ongoing crisis.
Orban indicated openness to a meeting, saying, “The answer is yes, but the Russian President has some conditions.” He did not specify those terms. Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin press secretary, has repeatedly stated that any meeting with Zelensky would require a preliminary agreement on the text of a document to be signed, while leaving open the possibility that a Putin-Zelensky encounter might not occur.
The Hungarian leader also pressed for a ceasefire in Ukraine during the conversation.
The Kremlin press service announced that Putin and Orban discussed several current issues in Russian-Hungarian relations, noting that both sides continue to pursue mutually beneficial cooperation. The release quoted Putin as updating Russian and Ukrainian representatives on the talks and providing a basic assessment of provocations in Bucha. It said the dialogue would continue.
European media outlets noted that Orban invited French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to participate in the talks.
Orban argued that the real objective is to secure a ceasefire in Ukraine, followed by a European peace conference, according to TASS.
Earlier, Orban asserted that he would not permit external interference in Ukraine, warning that such meddling could have dire consequences for Hungary’s population.
Elections in Hungary
The governing FIDESZ-Hungarian Civic Union, led by Orban, achieved a decisive landslide victory in the latest election. Alongside its junior coalition partners, the Christian Democrats, the party held 135 of the 199 seats in Hungary’s National Assembly, according to the National Electoral Bureau. This result ensures Orban remains prime minister for at least four more years, a role he has held since 2010, with an earlier tenure from 1998 to 2002.
Commenting on the campaign outcome, Orban reportedly mentioned Zelensky among rivals he hoped to outpace. Zelensky, for his part, suggested that Orban would face a choice “between Russia and the rest of the world.”
In response, Zelensky criticized Orban for what he described as flirtation with cheaper energy sources and warned that Hungary could soon face consequences. He claimed to have tried to build a relationship with Orban but did not succeed, saying he had personally extended invitations for discussions to no avail. He added that Hungary and Budapest did not align with Kyiv on several Ukrainian-related issues.
Recent remarks from European officials included a note from Josep Borrell indicating no unanimous EU position on halting Russian gas, given Hungary’s veto concerns.
Orban also stated that Budapest would be willing to pay for Russian gas in rubles, saying, “We have no problems paying in rubles. If the Russians want to be paid in rubles, we will pay in rubles.”
Background context notes that Russia initiated a special military operation in Ukraine on February 24. In response, the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and several other states issued multiple sanctions against Russian individuals and entities. Reports indicate substantial freezes of Russia’s gold and foreign exchange reserves, with authorities citing figures in the vicinity of $350 billion as of early April. The note also mentions negotiations in Istanbul on March 29 between Russian and Ukrainian representatives, with Medinsky presenting written proposals on the path to agreement.
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