Hungary’s Orban says he is “proud” of meetings with Putin

He said this to reporters in Brussels on October 26, Reuters reports.

"We would like to do everything to have peace. Therefore we keep open all the communication lines to the Russians, otherwise there will be no chance for peace. This is a strategy, we are proud of it," Orban said.

"We are the only ones to speak on behalf and in favour of peace, which would be in the interest of everybody in Europe," he added.

• On October 17, Russian leader Putin met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Beijing. This is the first time in more than a year that Putin has met with the leader of an EU country. In April 2022, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer visited Moscow.
• During his meeting with Putin, Orban called Russia's war against Ukraine a "military operation."
• On October 23, four MPs from the opposition Momentum faction doused the fence around Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's office with blood-colored paint. They accused the prime minister of having contacts with the Russian leader.