Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán held talks on energy supplies with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Friday, once again shunning efforts by his European Union partners to isolate Moscow over its invasion of neighboring Ukraine nearly four years ago.

The trip to Moscow is the second since last year for Orbán, who is widely considered Putin’s closest partner among all EU leaders.

Hungary is one of only a few EU countries to continue importing large quantities of Russian fossil fuels, and Orbán has strongly opposed efforts by the bloc to wean its 27 member nations off Russian energy supplies.

“We have important areas of cooperation, and we haven’t given up on any area of that cooperation, no matter the external pressure,” Orbán said. “Russian energy forms the basis of Hungary’s energy supply, now and in the future.”

"Our views on certain issues, including international politics, may sometimes differ. In any case, we have developed an atmosphere that allows us to speak frankly and discuss any issues," Putin said during the talks.

Orbán has long argued for a cessation of hostilities in Ukraine but without outlining what that might mean for the country’s territorial integrity or future security.

That stance has dismayed Hungary’s EU and NATO allies, who accuse Russia of breaking international law and threatening the security of Eastern European countries.