BBC – Moscow's interest in the Hungarian elections has been evident, with Viktor Orbán the only EU leader to systematically block sanctions and military aid to Ukraine, as well as supporting gas deals with Russia.
Before the election, Bloomberg published a transcript of a conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Orbán from October 2025.
In it, Orbán reportedly compared himself to a mouse that escapes a lion, after which the lion does not kill it.
Orbán also reportedly assured Putin that on any matter where he could be useful, "I am at your service."
This publication did not bother the Kremlin at all, which said it “shows Orbán from a very pragmatic and effective perspective,” someone who “defends the interests of his country.”