Orban defends meeting Putin at EU summitbr br Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban caused a stir at a European Union summit by justifying his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and positioning himself as the sole advocate for peace in Ukraine, finding an unlikely ally in Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico. Together, they hinted at blocking EU aid to Ukraine, despite the majority of EU leaders opposing this move, with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda condemning it as a misguided flirtation with a regime responsible for severe atrocities.