Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has made a controversial trip to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The meeting happened just days before new international talks about the war in Ukraine. This is not the first time the Hungarian leader has acted alone on diplomacy, and his actions often cause disagreements with other European Union and NATO countries.
Russian television showed the meeting, where President Putin said he appreciated Hungary's "balanced view" on Ukraine. While Russia called the talks positive, leaders in Europe were angry. They feel Hungary is not following the group's shared goals for foreign policy. A German politician said the visit happened without any permission from Europe.
During the talks, the Hungarian group also made important business deals. Hungary's Foreign Minister said the two countries agreed that Russia will continue to send gas and oil to Hungary. They also promised to continue work on expanding Hungary's Paks nuclear power plant. This shows that Hungary is focusing on its energy supply, while other European countries are trying to stop using Russian energy.
The leaders also discussed how to end the war in Ukraine. President Putin said he liked Mr. Orbán's idea for Hungary to host possible future peace talks between Russia and the United States. Mr. Orbán said Hungary is ready to help with peace talks.
Some people watching the meeting said the atmosphere seemed a little uncomfortable. At one point, Mr. Orbán accidentally bumped into Mr. Putin. Experts who study body language said this small incident might show that there is some tension between them.