Long reputed to be Russia-friendly, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has often railed against the continuation of the EU sanctions, claiming that they impose an intolerable burden on the Hungarian economy and provide no solution for the carnage in Ukraine.

Russia would like to see a resumption in the transit of gas via Ukraine, the Kremlin said on Tuesday, after the European Commission issued a statement saying it planned to continue talks with Kyiv on natural gas supplies to Europe.

Serbia, Slovakia and Poland's call for a permanent end to Russian gas flows pose issues for the Russian leader.

Before relenting, Budapest had threatened to allow billions of dollars to flow back to the Kremlin in a row over energy imports.

The European Union renewed on Monday its wide-ranging sanctions on Russia over the war in Ukraine, after Hungary stopped holding up the move in return for a declaration on energy security.

Some measures were introduced in 2014 after Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula, but the list grew significantly after Moscow's full ... Europe had forced Hungary to turn to alternative ...

The Orbán government and the “postliberal” philosophies promoted by leading Hungarian conservatives have considerable influence on the American right.

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said she expected the bloc to renew its sanctions on Russia on Monday after Hungary signalled it would stop holding up the move in return for assurances about energy security.

Hungary wants the European Union to persuade Ukraine to resume gas transit from Russia to Europe, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday, signalling a tough debate as the EU seeks to extend its sanctions against Russia over the coming week.

Hungary wants the European Union to intervene in a gas dispute it has with Ukraine, a potential sign of friction in the bloc’s upcoming discussions over renewing sanctions against Russia

as Kyiv and the West look to deny Moscow revenue used to fund its war in Ukraine. Most countries have begun developing alternative sources of gas, although some -- notably Slovakia and Hungary ...