Live: Ukraine

Bloomberg has reviewed a transcript of a phone call between Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Vladimir Putin, in which Orbán assured the Kremlin leader of “friendship” and offered help in “settling” the war in Ukraine. Most of the conversation reportedly consisted of exchanging compliments toward each other, as well as toward U.S. President Donald Trump. During the call, Orbán said that his friendship with Putin had strengthened since it began in St. Petersburg in 2009. He also expressed regret that they had not been able to meet regularly in person as they did before the COVID-19 pandemic. Putin, in turn, praised Hungary’s “independent and flexible” position regarding the war against Ukraine. According to the transcript, the main purpose of the October call was to discuss the possibility of holding a meeting between the United States and Russia in Hungary. However, such a summit in Budapest did not take place. Notably, details of the Orbán–Putin conversation surfaced amid reports of a leaked call between Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov. 🪐 Subscribe to Live: Ukraine