Hungary and Russia struck 12-point plan for closer ties, documents show
politico.eu • • world
Key Points:
- Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is deepening economic and political ties with Russia, as revealed by a recently obtained 12-point cooperation agreement signed in December 2025 between Hungarian and Russian officials.
- The agreement covers extensive collaboration in sectors including energy, nuclear fuel, education, culture, and sports, aiming to reverse the decline in bilateral trade caused by EU sanctions on Russia.
- Orbán faces criticism from his electoral rival Péter Magyar, who accuses him of "outright treason" for aligning Hungary closely with Moscow amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
- Despite the closer ties with Russia, the agreement states that cooperation must not conflict with Hungary's obligations as an EU member, though Orbán has consistently opposed stricter EU sanctions on Russia.
- The upcoming Hungarian parliamentary election on Sunday is highly contested, with Orbán leveraging his Kremlin connections as a campaign point while facing strong opposition and a tense political atmosphere marked by espionage allegations and cyber surveillance.
