Orbán Meets Putin Again as Hungary Holds Firm on Russian Energy, Defies EU Pressure

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00:00Orban meets Putin again as Hungary holds firm on Russian energy, defies EU pressure.

00:06Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban traveled to Moscow on Friday for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin,

00:12signaling Hungary's continued defiance of European Union efforts to isolate Russia over its war in Ukraine.

00:19According to the Associated Press, Orban, seen as Moscow's closest ally in the EU,

00:24has preserved strong energy ties with Russia, even as most European nations scale back dependence on Kremlin oil and gas.

00:31At the Kremlin, he reaffirmed that stance, saying Hungary has not given up on any area of cooperation despite outside pressure,

00:39and stressing that Russian energy remains the foundation of Hungary's supply now and in the future.

00:45Orban has repeatedly called for an end to the fighting in Ukraine without detailing how Kiev's territorial integrity should be protected,

00:51drawing criticism from EU and NATO officials, who say his stance weakens their response to Russian aggression.

00:58Putin, meanwhile, praised Orban's balanced position, and the Kremlin said their meeting lasted nearly four hours.

01:05Earlier this month, Orban also met President Donald Trump in Washington,

01:10where he secured an exemption from U.S. sanctions on Russian energy giants Lukoil and Rosneft.

01:15The Hungarian leader said the waiver would guarantee affordable Russian oil and gas supplies through this winter and into next year.

01:22Now all we need is oil and gas, which we can buy from the Russians.

01:26I am going there to ensure Hungary's energy supply at an affordable price both this winter and next year, he said Friday.

01:33Hungary continues to defend its reliance on Russian energy, insisting that cutting imports would devastate its economy.

01:39Critics say alternatives exist, but Orban has blocked EU plans to phase out Russian fossil fuels by 2027.

01:48Meanwhile, U.S. sanctions are beginning to squeeze Moscow's war funding,

01:53with Russian crude prices dropping as India and China move into compliance.

01:58On the ground, the conflict is escalating.

02:00Ukraine reports strikes on Russian oil refineries and air defense depots.

02:04Russia claims to have intercepted over 130 Ukrainian drones,

02:09and Kiev detected several Russian missile launches toward the Komelnitsky region, including at least one Kinjal missile.