Moscow Welcomes Magyar’s Pragmatic Dialogue Signals
“For the time being, as far as we know, we can state with satisfaction Peter Magyar’s willingness to engage in a pragmatic dialogue,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. He added that Moscow would assess its next steps based on the concrete decisions of the new government.
Magyar’s election victory ended the era of Viktor Orban, a long-time partner of Russia. Orban repeatedly opposed European Union sanctions against Moscow, blocked financial aid to Ukraine and resisted its accession to the European Union.
Russia has significant economic ties with Hungary, particularly in the energy sector. It supplies the country with oil and gas and is involved in the construction of a nuclear power plant near Budapest.
During the campaign, Magyar stressed a pro-European and pro-NATO orientation while also acknowledging the need for communication with Moscow. He pledged to continue buying Russian energy in the near future, although he also spoke of diversifying sources and reviewing existing contracts.