War in Ukraine: Viktor Orbán poses as a mediator with Russia
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, in Budapest after his victory in the legislative elections, Sunday April 3, 2022. AP - Petr David Josek
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
The Hungarian Prime Minister comes out strengthened by his victory in the legislative elections on Sunday April 3 and now intends to mediate with Moscow.
Viktor Orbán spoke by telephone with Vladimir Putin.
He asked the latter to set up a ceasefire in Ukraine, taking advantage of his close relationship with the head of the Kremlin.
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Vladimir Putin is the first head of state to have congratulated Viktor Orbán for his victory in the legislative elections.
And the Hungarian prime minister has since invited the Russian president to Budapest, to discuss a ceasefire with his Ukrainian counterpart.
“
The Russian president said yes, but with conditions
,” Mr. Orbán announced.
“
I cannot negotiate for these conditions to be met, it will be up to the Russian and Ukrainian presidents to do so
,” moderated the leader of the Fidesz party.
►Read again: Orbán's victory, promise of new disputes between Brussels and Budapest
The head of the Hungarian government refuses to condemn the atrocities committed in Boutcha, Ukraine.
He thus stands out from the wave of Western condemnations and continues to cultivate his close relationship with Vladimir Poutine, notes our correspondent in Budapest,
Florence La Bruyère
.
Hungary has signed numerous contracts with the Russian Federation, and it is in Budapest that the mysterious Russian Investment Bank has established itself.
A nest of spies, according to US intelligence services.
Hungary ready to pay for Russian gas in rubles
A few days ago, a Hungarian investigative media,
Direkt.36
, revealed, with supporting documents, that the Russian secret services, via hackers, had infiltrated the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Russians would thus have had access to confidential NATO documents.
However, according to this independent newspaper, reputed for its serious investigations, the Orbán government had known about it for a long time, but it did not protest to Moscow.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was content to qualify these revelations as "
lies
".
►Also listen: Hungary, Serbia, "an alliance strategy that associates them with Putin
"
Finally, this Wednesday, Viktor Orbán broke ranks with the EU, saying he was ready to pay for Russian gas in rubles if necessary, contrary to the other countries of the Union who refuse to accede to this request from Moscow.
“
We don't see any problem in paying in rubles.
If that's what the Russians want, we'll pay in rubles
,” he said.
Its Minister of Foreign Affairs, Péter Szijjártó, had previously declared that Europe had no role to play on this subject, “
governed by a bilateral contract
”.
"
The will of the European Commission to have a common response from importing countries does not seem necessary to us
", according to him.
© RFI
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Victor Orban
Hungary
Raw materials
Energies
Vladimir Poutine
Russia
Diplomacy
Ukraine
Volodymyr Zelensky