Viktor Orban meets with Putin, says Hungary trying to salvage relations with Russia

As part of Vladimir Putin’s trip to China for the Belt and Road Forum, the Russian president held talks with the Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban.

Putin said that despite limited opportunities for contact in “today’s geopolitical conditions,” Russia preserves relations with many European countries, including Hungary.

“We know that our positions are far from always being aligned, but having the possibility to exchange opinions not only on bilateral relations, but also the situation in the world, is always extremely important in my opinion,” Interfax cites Putin as saying.

In response, Orban said that Hungary does not seek a confrontation with Russia and would like to preserve bilateral relations. “Hungary has never wanted a confrontation with Russia. On the contrary, Hungary’s goal has always been to establish and expand mutual contacts, and we have succeeded in doing so. However, our relations have suffered a lot because of the military operation and the sanctions. We’re trying to salvage what we can,” stated the Hungarian Prime Minister.