BUDAPEST – Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is visiting Moscow for energy talks with Vladimir Putin, a rare step from a European leader amid Russia’s war in Ukraine.

The trip to Moscow is the second since last year for Orbán, who is widely considered Putin’s closest partner among all European Union leaders. In comments to state media before departing for Moscow early Friday, Orbán said the focus of his talks with Putin would be Hungary’s continued access to Russian oil and gas, which have come under sanctions by the U.S. government.

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Hungary remains among the only EU countries to continue importing large quantities of Russian fossil fuels, and has strongly opposed efforts by the bloc to wean its member nations off Russian energy supplies.

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