It was just over two years ago, on September 1, 2023, that I first wrote — in a post titled “Hungary: Another Wild Card?” — about Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his growing tendency to cozy up to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.

At that time, I quoted a report by Bloomberg that said:

“The West should make a ‘deal’ with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Ukraine’s new security architecture, which shouldn’t include the return of Crimea nor membership in the NATO military alliance, according to Hungarian prime Minister Viktor Orban.”

And in an interview shortly thereafter with Fox News’ Tucker Carlson, and as published on X, Orban reiterated:

“We should make a deal with the Russians on the new security architecture to provide security and sovereignty for Ukraine but not membership in NATO. . . . the best chance for peace was for former US President Donald Trump to return to power and for him to end military support to Ukraine.”

I further reported at the time that Orban had already cut deals with Russia for the purchase of Russian energy despite existing sanctions, and despite Hungary’s membership in both NATO and the EU; and — again citing a Bloomberg article — that he had referred to Putin as a “model on which . . . [to build] an ‘illiberal democracy’ that opposes the EU’s multi-cultural values.”

*. *. *

Now fast-forward two years. As we are all too well aware, one of Orban’s wishes came true when Donald Trump bulldozed his way back into the White House and began behaving more like his buddy Vladimir Putin than the head of the U.S. government.

One of the biggest problems Trump inherited was, of course, the war against Ukraine, which he still insists would never have happened if he, instead of his nemesis Joe Biden, had been in office for the past four years. But, that bit of fantasy aside, he did have a mess to deal with; and in the eight months since he resumed office, he has only made it more complicated by vacillating between total support and near-total abandonment of Ukraine . . . seemingly depending upon the last person with whom he had a conversation on the subject.

Trump has been trying to convince the leaders of Europe’s NATO and EU countries to stop purchasing oil and natural gas from Russia in order to hit hard at Putin’s wartime economy. And most of those countries have indeed found other sources of energy and weaned themselves from Russia’s spigots.

But not Hungary. Despite Trump’s and Orban’s declarations of mutual admiration, and Hungary’s obligations to NATO and the EU, Orban said on Friday that dropping Russian energy would be a “disaster” for his country’s economy. In comments on state radio on September 26th, Orban said:

“I told the U.S. president . . . that if Hungary is cut off from Russian oil and natural gas, immediately, within a minute, Hungarian economic performance will drop by 4%. It means the Hungarian economy would be on its knees.” [Justin Spike, AP, September 26, 2025.]

Hungarian officials have attributed their alleged energy difficulties to geographical and infrastructural issues. But other countries in the region have managed to break away from Russian oil — with the notable other exception of Slovakia, whose Prime Minister, Robert Fico, is similarly Russia-friendly.

Orban added on Friday that where energy sources are concerned, “It is clear what is in Hungary’s interest and we will act accordingly. . . . [Hungary and the United States] are sovereign countries. There is no need for either of us to accept the arguments of the other. America has its arguments and interests, and Hungary does too.” [Id.]

In other words — in typically Putinesque jargon — he has made it crystal clear where he stands, and has always stood: with his feet firmly planted in NATO and EU territory, and his self-interest in Moscow.

Somehow, I can’t help thinking about the fox in the henhouse.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
9/29/25