Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has acknowledged that he personally reached out to Vladimir Putin for clarification, saying he was concerned about Moscow’s reaction to European Union actions.
Orban said he sent a letter to Putin asking how Russia would respond to the EU’s decision to use frozen Russian assets to provide Ukraine with a so‑called “reparations loan.”
According to Orban, he wanted to know whether Moscow would take into account the positions of individual EU countries, particularly Hungary, which opposes the move.
Orban said he received a reply from Moscow. He claimed Russia promised its reaction would be “strong,” but that the Kremlin would “take Hungary’s protest into account.” In effect, the Hungarian leader signaled he fears possible consequences from Russia and is seeking to distance himself in advance from a broader EU decision.
Commentators note that Russia has few, if any, legal or political tools to respond to the measure. Still, critics mocked Orban’s stance on social media, with some calling it a “cowardly” reaction.
On December 12, EU ambassadors agreed to freeze Russian assets held in Europe indefinitely, a step Orban sharply criticized. Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andriy Sybiha, commenting on the Hungarian leader’s position, called Orban “Russia’s most valuable frozen asset in Europe.”
EU leaders are expected to discuss at a summit this week how to approve a “reparations loan” for Ukraine using Russian assets. Formally, a qualified majority would suffice, but the process is complicated by resistance from some countries, notably Belgium, which fears legal consequences.
