The European Union announced its top officials will boycott informal meetings hosted by Hungary during the country’s EU presidency. This decision follows Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's controversial meetings with foreign leaders about Ukraine, which have angered European partners. Some member states, however, are frowning on Brussels’ unprecedented move. The European Commission, the EU's executive […]

In a controversial move, Hungary has once again used its veto power to disrupt the European Union's foreign policy, this time blocking a joint statement condemning Russia's ban on 81 European media outlets. Among those blacklisted by the Kremlin are high-profile names like Germany's Der Spiegel, France's Le Monde, and Italy's RAI. The blocked outlets […]

In the wake of a meeting between Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Gazprom, the state-owned Russian energy giant, has announced its intentions to bolster natural gas shipments to EU-member Hungary. This decision has come at a time when the European Union (EU) is actively striving to reduce its dependency on […]

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán have underlined their commitment to bilateral relations amidst escalating international tensions stemming from the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. This reaffirmation of ties occurred during their recent encounter at an international forum held in China. Viktor Orbán became the first European Union leader to publicly shake […]

A top Republican senator is blocking an arms deal between the US and Hungary over the latter’s delay of ratifying Sweden NATO accession. The move is testament to the continuous souring of relations between Washington and Budapest due to Hungary’s stance over the war in Ukraine. Senator James E. Risch, the top Republican on the […]

Hungary’s government announced a ban on the import of grain, oilseeds, and several other products from Ukraine and later expanded the list of banned items, citing market pressures on Hungarian farmers. Budapest called for "progressive" aid from the EU to help move Ukrainian grain through central European countries where farmers are competing with cheaper imports. […]

Hungary’s deteriorating relations with the US took a turn for the worse as Washington announced a series of sanctions against Russia that also affected Hungary. This was the first time since the start of the war in Ukraine that an entity based in Hungary, a NATO and EU member, was sanctioned. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Viktor […]

Hungary opened a new front in its ongoing standoff with the European Union when it said it would not support the bloc’s plan for a support package for war-torn Ukraine. Hungary’s move comes as the government of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is running a popular campaign against EU sanctions on Russia. The European Union this […]

Hungary’s Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó travelled to Moscow to negotiate more gas imports from Russia as Hungary braces for a tumultuous winter heating season. Hungary has been a vocal critic on the European Union’s embargo on Russian energy sources, saying a swift decoupling from Russian energy would undermine the country’s economy. Hungary’s foreign minister arrived […]

The Hungarian government declared an “energy emergency,” citing the war in Ukraine and sanctions on Russia by the European Union as the primary reasons. Under the new system, there will be a ban on the export of fossil fuels and the system of government-imposed cap on household utility prices will be revamped. The government of […]

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was granted a near-total exemption from the European Union’s embargo on Russian oil. Although the premier hails it as a great victory achieved in Brussels, the exemption may only deepen the rift between the bloc and Hungary. EU leaders agreed this week to grant Hungary a near-total exemption from a […]

Hungary is opposing the European Union’s proposal for a gradual ban on Russian oil imports, with Budapest claiming the plan would be equivalent to dropping an A-bomb on the country’s economy. Meanwhile, tensions are on the rise within the bloc as a handful of dissenting member states are holding up action on a new package […]

"OTP Group is supporting Ukraine using all means available to us. We are working under wartime conditions to keep the country's financial infrastructure, and thereby the economy as a whole, operational," the Group said in a statement this Friday. In addition to maintaining the operations of the Group's subsidiary in Ukraine, "we are contributing to […]

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán concluded extensive talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow this week as tensions simmer between Russia and the West. The Hungarian premier stressed that proposed sanctions against Moscow would be “pointless” and offered that the gap between Russia’s “security demands” and NATO members’ willingness can be bridged. After nearly […]

Hungary and Ukraine became embroiled in a bitter dispute over Hungary’s long-term natural gas supply agreement with Russia. The two countries issued stern statements as the diplomatic squabble escalated. Governments in Kyiv and Budapest are embroiled in a political standoff after Hungary signed an agreement with Russia on long-term natural gas supply. The dispute ensued […]