(ANSA-AFP) - MOSCOW, FEB 1 - Russian President Vladimir Putin will host talks Tuesday with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has taken a softer line on the Ukraine crisis than fellow NATO and EU members. The Kremlin said ahead of the meeting that the leaders would discuss bilateral ties as well as "security issues on the European continent and regional conflicts," an allusion to the standoff between Russia and the West over Ukraine. Orban has said he will seek an agreement to increase Hungary's gas imports from Russia at a time when some in Europe accuse Russia of orchestrating an energy crisis to pressure European countries. Hungary's opposition parties released a joint statement calling on Orban to cancel his trip, describing it as "contrary" to national interests. The opposition said that, by meeting with Putin, Orban "indirectly encourages the Russian president to further escalate the current tense situation." US President Joe Biden has accused Russia of plans to invade Ukraine imminently with its troops massed on the border and warned of severe economic sanctions if it does.

Orban's visit is also likely to sit uncomfortably with Hungary's closest European Union allies, most notably Poland. (ANSA-AFP).