Hungary and Russia agree on 12-point plan for closer ties - Politico

The Hungarian government has signed an agreement with Russia to expand economic, trade, energy, and cultural ties between the two countries, according to documents drafted by the Russian government, Politico reports, writes UNN.

Details

As the publication notes, they "clearly underscore how close Budapest and Moscow hope to become."

"Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó and Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko signed a 12-point plan outlining areas of cooperation after a meeting in the Russian capital in December," the documents show. The text, which had not been previously released, defines the extent to which both governments will align their actions in diverse areas such as nuclear fuel, education, and sports.

While Orbán boasts of his close ties with the Kremlin, his electoral rival, Péter Magyar, argues that this is an Achilles' heel, accusing the government of "outright betrayal" due to its connections with Moscow.

The December summit in Moscow was the 16th meeting of the Russian-Hungarian Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation, which, according to Russian state media, was established in 2005. Since then, the commission has met approximately annually in either Russia or Hungary—with a break between the 14th meeting in November 2021 and the 15th in September 2024. Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

According to one of the documents, at the meeting in Moscow on December 9, 2025, Russia and Hungary "reviewed current issues of bilateral trade and economic cooperation, joint activities in the energy sector, industry, healthcare, agriculture, construction, and other areas of mutual interest, as well as in the cultural and humanitarian sphere." They also emphasized the importance of "developing long-term, mutually beneficial ties between the two countries in areas of mutual interest."

When asked about the content of the documents and their impact on Hungary's political trajectory, Szijjártó only replied that "Hungary's bilateral cooperation is guided by national interests, not by any pressure to conform to extremely biased liberal mainstream media. Keep up the biased work!"

Oil, gas, nuclear energy

The publication stated that it contacted independent experts familiar with Moscow's methods but could not independently verify the documents, which contain instructions to Russian government agencies on implementing the new commitments.

Among the agreed points, according to the documents, was a commitment to "reverse the negative trend in bilateral trade" after the volume of goods transferred decreased as a result of EU sanctions against Russia, imposed in response to Russia's war in Ukraine. The agreement also opens opportunities for Russian companies to launch new electricity and hydrogen production projects in Hungary and closer cooperation on oil, gas, and nuclear fuel.

Budapest agreed to explore strengthening Russian-language education in the country by "importing" teachers from Russia, as well as enhancing mutual recognition of qualifications and opening exchange programs for postgraduate students, according to the agreement text.

Under the terms of the agreement, the Hungarian government supported ongoing exchange programs in all areas, from sports to circus arts, although Moscow has been consistently accused of using cultural events to spread its narratives about the war in Ukraine and legitimize the Moscow regime. Both sides supported the idea of an action plan for 2026-2027 for joint cooperation in sports.

Closer ties with Russia should be "incompatible with Hungary's obligations arising from its membership in the European Union," one of the documents states.

Addition

The Hungarian Prime Minister has consistently opposed EU efforts to strengthen sanctions against Russia and provide material support to Ukraine. On Tuesday, Bloomberg reported that he told Russian leader Vladimir Putin in a phone call in October 2025 that he would offer help "in any possible way" and that Hungary would be a "mouse" to Moscow's "lion."

Orbán faces his toughest challenge in 16 years in power in Sunday's parliamentary elections, where his populist Fidesz party trails the center-right opposition Tisza in the polls. He has tried to present his friendly relations with Moscow as an election-winning issue, accusing his main rival, Magyar's party, of planning to drag Hungary into the war in Ukraine and jeopardize its access to Russian fossil fuels.

The Hungarian election campaign has been characterized by a series of strategic information leaks, cyber surveillance, accusations of espionage, and allegations from diplomats, the publication writes. Voting will begin on Sunday.