Orban met with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic a day earlier to discuss wider regional energy concerns. He said Hungary is considering purchasing Russia’s stake in Serbian oil company NIS, which risks US sanctions unless its ownership structure changes. The company controls Serbia’s only refinery, which has already struggled to source crude due to Western sanctions on Russian energy.
The administration of US President Donald Trump has targeted the Russian energy sector as part of its strategy to resolve the Ukraine conflict. Orban, whose country relies heavily on Russian energy, secured an exemption during his visit to Washington earlier this month.
The Hungarian prime minister has long been at odds with the EU’s approach of isolating Moscow diplomatically over the Ukraine conflict. His previous visit to Russia in 2024 during Hungary’s rotating EU presidency drew condemnation from pro-Kiev officials. The trip formed part of Orban’s wider “peace tour,” which also included stops in China, Ukraine, and the US.
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