Published on
25/11/2025 – 17:42 GMT+1

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will travel to Moscow on Friday to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to media reports.

The information came from Hungarian government sources who were involved in the preparations of the trip, according to investigative central European outlet VSquare.

The Hungarian government has not confirmed the visit at this time, with Budapest saying it would inform the public about Orbán’s programme in due time.

The agenda for the meeting is not yet known. But Orbán has maintained ties to Putin since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and the two leaders have kept in regular touch, meeting in person three times since early 2022.

The Hungarian premier has repeatedly stated he was in favour of an immediate ceasefire and peace talks to end the war in Ukraine. Over the weekend, Orbán called on the European Union to support Washington’s peace efforts and engage in direct negotiations with Russia.

‘”Europeans must immediately and unconditionally support the peace initiative of the President of the United States,” Orbán said in a letter sent to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Saturday.

“In addition to supporting the US president, we must, without delay, launch autonomous and direct diplomatic negotiations with Russia,” he added.

Europeans ‘prefer to continue the war,’ Orbán says

Hungary is one of the few European countries that imports large quantities of Russian oil and gas, despite the European Union’s efforts to decouple from Moscow’s fossil fuels.

During a visit to Washington in November, Orbán secured exemptions from Washington’s secondary tariffs targeting Russia’s oil exporters Rosneft and Lukoil.

Addressing US President Donald Trump, Orbán also blamed the European Union for what he said was its support of the war.

“Your peace efforts are splendid, but the problem is Brussels, the Europeans. They prefer to continue the war, because they still think Ukraine can win on the front line,” Orbán said.

Earlier, Trump announced direct talks with Putin in Budapest, only for the meeting to be called off by Washington, citing a lack of agreement with Moscow.

Following the leak of the US-Russia 28-point plan last week, said to be strongly in favour of Moscow, Ukrainian and European representatives have met with their US counterparts for further talks, followed by a counterproposal offering more guarantees for Ukraine.

WASHINGTON, Nov 24 (Reuters) – The Pentagon on Monday threatened to recall U.S. Senator Mark Kelly, a retired Navy captain, to active duty status in order to prosecute him after what it described as seditious behavior by the former astronaut and decorated veteran.

Kelly, who denies any wrongdoing and who said in a statement he would not be intimidated, joined five other Democrats in Congress with backgrounds in the U.S. military and intelligence community to urge U.S. troops to refuse any illegal orders.

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Kelly’s November 18 video message came amid heightened concerns among Democrats, echoed privately by some U.S. military officials, that the Trump administration is violating the law by ordering the U.S. military to kill suspected drug traffickers in strikes on their vessels in Latin American waters.

The Pentagon says those strikes are justified because the drug smugglers are considered terrorists.

The Pentagon statement said it was reviewing “serious allegations of misconduct” against Kelly. While it did not say what charges Kelly could face if it took such an extraordinary step, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted remarks on X accusing Kelly and the other lawmakers of sedition.

“The video made by the ‘Seditious Six’ was despicable, reckless, and false,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on X.

“Encouraging our warriors to ignore the orders of their Commanders undermines every aspect of ‘good order and discipline.’”

Under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, sedition and mutiny are among the most serious offenses and can be punishable by death.

VOWS NOT TO BE SILENCED

Kelly, in a statement, said he learned of the threat from Hegseth’s social media post. He detailed his public service prior to joining the Senate representing Arizona, including 39 combat missions in Operation Desert Storm and four space shuttle flights at NASA.

“If this is meant to intimidate me and other members of Congress from doing our jobs and holding this administration accountable, it won’t work,” Kelly said.

“I’ve given too much to this country to be silenced by bullies who care more about their own power than protecting the Constitution.”

The decision to recall and potentially prosecute Kelly could also be seen as a message to those recently dismissed officials, who have stayed silent following their removals.

DOES KELLY HAVE A STRONG LEGAL CASE?

Rachel VanLandingham, a former Air Force lawyer now at Southwestern Law School, said she had never seen sitting lawmakers called back to the military involuntarily, and that Kelly would have a strong legal case to get a preliminary injunction since there was no evidence of probable cause.

“He has strong legal standing to say ‘Absolutely not. I’m not going to do this’,” VanLandingham said.

Hegseth’s remarks also could undermine any Pentagon effort to prosecute Kelly since they amounted to a clear case of undue command influence and could be used as evidence that Kelly would not be able to get a fair trial, she said.

The prosecution of Kelly would raise questions about free speech rights and the separation of powers under the U.S. Constitution.

But Brenner Fissell, a professor at Villanova University School of Law, said Kelly could be facing some legal risk.

Kelly lacks the protections of Speech and Debate Clause immunity, Fissell said, which protect lawmakers for statements they make on the House or Senate floor.

“If they’re serious and they’re planning on charging him with mutiny, sedition, it seems like they would definitely try to book him in a pre-trial detention if they believe it’s that serious of an offense,” Fissell, a former defense counsel at Guantanamo Bay Military Commissions, added.

It is also the latest example of Trump’s administration seeking punishment of those Trump sees as political opponents.

Since returning to the presidency in January, Trump has occasionally called for imprisoning adversaries and his Justice Department has targeted critics such as former federal officials John Bolton and James Comey.

The Pentagon cautioned that all retired service members could be subject to recall.

“All servicemembers are reminded that they have a legal obligation under the UCMJ (Uniform Code of Military Justice) to obey lawful orders and that orders are presumed to be lawful. A servicemember’s personal philosophy does not justify or excuse the disobedience of an otherwise lawful order,” the Pentagon said.

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The remains of an Israeli hostage have been transferred to Red Cross custody and will soon be turned over to the Israel Defense Forces in the Gaza Strip, the IDF announced Tuesday.

“The Red Cross is on its way to the meeting point in the central Gaza Strip, where a coffin of a deceased hostage will be transferred into its custody,” the IDF said in a statement.

“The IDF requests that the public act with sensitivity and wait for the official identification, which will first be provided to the families,” the statement continued.

“Hamas is required to uphold the agreement and take the necessary steps to return all the deceased hostages,” the IDF noted.

HAMAS HANDS OVER ANOTHER ISRAELI HOSTAGE’S REMAINS AS GAZA CEASEFIRE EXCHANGES CONTINUE

It is still unknown whose remains Israel will be receiving. Prior to Tuesday, there were three deceased hostages known to still be in Hamas custody: Ran Gvili, 24, Dror Or, 48, and Sudthisak Rinthalak, 43.

Gvili served in an elite police unit and was recovering from a motorcycle injury on Oct. 7, 2023. He nevertheless rushed to respond to the attack and helped people escape from the Nova music festival. He was later killed fighting at another location and his body was taken to Gaza.

TRUMP THANKS GROUP REPRESENTING FAMILIES OF HOSTAGES FOR NOBEL PEACE PRIZE APPEAL

Or was a father of three who was killed along with his wife, Yonat Or, while protecting two of their children on Oct. 7. The two children, Noam, who was then 16, and Alma, then 13, were abducted and then released during the November 2023 ceasefire.

Rinthalak was a Thai worker employed at a kibbutz that came under attack on Oct. 7. He is one of 31 Thai workers who were kidnapped on Oct. 7. The Thai government says at least 46 of its citizens were killed during the course of the war in Gaza.

The latest release comes less than a week after President Donald Trump met with 17 surviving Israeli hostages and their loved ones at the White House.

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Trump gave each of the 17 survivors a Presidential Challenge Coin.

“You’re not a hostage anymore, today you’re heroes,” Trump said. “We love you all, and our country loves you all. You’re amazing people.” 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.