BEIJING, October 18. /TASS/. Accusing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban of being a Russia sympathizer is nonsense, he is a pro-Hungarian politician, Russian President Vladimir Putin said answering questions from reporters.

"As for Prime Minister Orban, he is often accused of some kind of pro-Russian mindset; this is nonsense. He does not have a pro-Russian mindset, he is not a pro-Russian politician, he is a pro-Hungarian politician," Putin said, commenting on his recent meeting with the Hungarian prime minister.

Putin and Orban met on the sidelines of the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing on October 17. The Hungarian prime minister later said that the Russian president’s answer to his question about the possibility of a ceasefire in Ukraine "was not encouraging, to put it mildly."

"They attack him [Orban] mainly not because he takes a position that is different from other European leaders, but because he has the courage to defend the interests of his people. And many political figures in Europe today lack this courage. They don’t have such courage, they envy him. That’s why they attack him," the Russian leader added.