Financial Times: The French will put an end to the Putin-Orbán nuclear friendship? – UPDATED

Of course, PM Viktor Orbán or Russian President Putin never said they were friends. But, among others, they met each year before the war in Ukraine, and Russians got the Paks nuclear power plant extension project for a lot of money. Furthermore, the Hungarian government keeps talking about the importance of peace, which momentarily means that the Ukrainians should lay down their weapons and accept the Russian invasion. Will the French terminate the good relationship of the two leaders? UPDATE: Read Russian Rosatom’s reaction in the issue below.

Hungary-Russia: a special relationship

PM Orbán and his government condemned the Russian invasion in Ukraine but always highlighted the rightful security claims of Russia and President Putin. They voted for all of the EU sanctions but were able to take off some Russian businessmen and clerics from the EU’s sanctions lists. The Western allies keep talking about the importance of arms deliveries to Ukraine. Meanwhile, Orbán said Hungary would never transport weapons for Kyiv because Budapest does not want to escalate the conflict.

Voices about seceding from the Russian energy deliveries are the strongest in the West, but Hungary keeps buying Russian oil and gas even though the purchase price is very high. However, it seems there are some cracks on the unique Hungarian-Russian relationship.

According to the Financial Times, Hungary started negotiations with France. The aim is to replace the Russians with the French regarding the Paks nuclear power plant extension project, the British paper wrote.

• Read also: Hungary might operate small nuclear reactor with American technology

Orbán will kick out the Russians for the French?

Viktor Orbán met Emmanuel Macron last week in Paris, and they discussed a nuclear cooperation and the state of the extension project. High ranking government officials told FT that the Hungarian government started to rethink the project, which costs EUR 12 billion, financed from a Russian loan. Furthermore, the partners are Russia and the country’s Rosatom, 24.hu wrote.