Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has characterized his amicable dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin as a standard practice among politicians. This statement follows the release of a transcript in which Orbán likened himself to a “mouse helping a lion,” referring to Putin.
In an interview with Blikk Talk, Orbán emphasized that the friendly tone of their conversation does not indicate a personal relationship but rather reflects important connections for Hungary. He stated,
“It is not about gathering personal friends but creating valuable connections for the country. This is a usual formula in political communication. There is nothing special about it.”
Orbán further elaborated that he perceives true friendship as a much deeper bond. He remarked,
“On a human level, we cannot be in such relations because that would require shared experiences, like raising pigs together. Genuine friendship involves shared youth, common trials, and families that have known each other for generations. Personal friendship is a much deeper matter. In politics, it rather signifies a certain level of connection and respect.”
The Prime Minister claimed to refer to the President of the United States, numerous European leaders, and several Central Asian heads of state as “friends.” He noted that he and some Muslim leaders refer to each other as “brothers,” asserting that there is nothing extraordinary about such terms. Orbán expressed hope that intelligence agencies are investigating the circumstances surrounding the leak of the transcript.
The transcript, published by Bloomberg on April 7, details a phone conversation between Orbán and Putin from October 17, 2025, sourced from a Hungarian government insider. During this discussion, Orbán expressed his willingness to be helpful “in any matter.”
Following this, on April 8, the investigative journalism consortium Vsquare released audio recordings of Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó’s conversations with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov from 2023 to 2025. The investigation revealed that Szijjártó coordinated actions with Russia against the interests of Ukraine and the European Union.
Under Orbán’s leadership, Hungary has obstructed the opening of negotiation clusters for Ukraine’s accession to the European Union and has also blocked a €90 billion loan to Ukraine. In March, Hungarian authorities detained an armored vehicle from the state-owned Oschadbank that was transporting currency to Ukraine. The funds were seized, and the bank’s employees were deported, with one requiring hospitalization following questioning by Hungarian law enforcement.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has defended his friendly tone in discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin, framing it as a common political practice. This comes in the wake of leaked transcripts and recordings revealing coordination between Hungarian officials and Russia against Ukraine's interests.