Hungarian PM seeks gas deal with Putin amid Ukraine tensions

By JUSTIN SPIKE
Associated Press

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban lobbied for a higher volume of Russian natural gas shipments to Hungary during a meeting in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The meeting Tuesday came as tensions continue to soar over Russia’s buildup of troops along its borders with Ukraine. Orban, one of Putin’s closest allies in the 27-nation European Union, urged a diplomatic solution to the standoff while praising his country’s close economic relations with Russia. He also asked Putin for an additional 1 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year to Hungary as energy prices are rising in Europe. Orban also condemned sanctions against Russia as “a tool doomed to failure.”