The two leaders have Russia's war with Ukraine on the agenda, with Mr Putin ready to discuss the 'nuances' of a peace agreement.
Hungary 's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has arrived in Moscow for talks with Russia n President Vladimir Putin . European Union officials have decried the meeting as "appeasement" of a man indicted by the International Criminal Court .
Mr Orbán's press chief Bertalan Havasi told Hungarian news agency MTI that the prime minister's trip to Russia on Friday was a "peace mission". He added the International Criminal Court had indicted Mr Putin for his role in the forced deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia, and had a warrant out for his arrest.In a statement on X, he insisted peace between Russia and Ukraine could not be brokered "from a comfortable armchair in Brussels".In a live feed on state-owned Russian news site Ria Novosti, he praised his country's place in European affairs.
"The European Council is clear: Russia is the aggressor, Ukraine is the victim. No discussions about Ukraine can take place without Ukraine," he said. Mr Orbán — who is widely considered to be Mr Putin's closest partner in the European Union — has routinely blocked, delayed or watered down efforts from the EU to assist Ukraine and impose sanctions on Moscow for its war.
Mr Putin said last month Russia would end the war in Ukraine only if Kyiv agreed to drop its NATO ambitions and hand over the entirety of four provinces claimed by Moscow, demands Kyiv swiftly rejected as tantamount to surrender.
Viktor Orban Moscow Vladimir Putin Russia Ukraine Russia-Ukraine War European Union International Criminal Court
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says China Premier Li Qiang will visit this weekIt will be the first trip to the nation by a Chinese premier since Li Keqiang's visit in 2017.
Read more »
Treasurer rules out early election after Prime Minister scraps US visitJim Chalmers has dismissed suggestions a snap poll will be called despite the Opposition Leader putting his MPs on alert.
Read more »
Prime minister says 'arrogant' tech companies must 'fess up' about social media harmsThe prime minister says the parent company of Facebook and Instagram is 'out of touch' after its head of safety fronted an inquiry into social media and Australian society.
Read more »
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese slams 'arrogant' tech giant Meta over harm to kids and mediaAnthony Albanese has criticised tech behemoth Meta for claiming social media hasn't harmed kids, and for threatening to block news content.
Read more »
Prime Minister affirms Australia is Solomon Islands 'partner of choice'Australia has committed to helping Solomon Islands double its police force. Solomon Islands Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele has come to Canberra on his first overseas trip since taking up the role last month.
Read more »
‘Le TikTok king’ : How a 28-year-old could be France’s new prime ministerSnap elections in France have put a spotlight on the leader of its major far-right party. Who is he? And why is French politics in turmoil?
Read more »