<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Embattled Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán offered to be the "mouse" to Russian President </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/vladimir-putin" rel="" target="_blank" title="Vladimir Putin's"><span>Vladimir Putin's</span></a><span> "lion", according to reportedly leaked phone transcripts.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-04-07/viktor-orban-offered-to-help-vladimir-putin-call-transcript-shows?embedded-checkout=true" rel="" target="_blank" title="Bloomberg first reported"><span>Bloomberg first reported</span></a><span> the call, which apparently took place last October.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Yesterday our friendship rose to such a high level that I can help in any way," Orbán reportedly told Putin.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>LIVE UPDATES:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/us-israel-iran-war-live-updates-april-8-donald-trump-latest-world-news-headlines-australian-fuel-price-and-supply/7129929f-2032-47c5-afed-d097de3d97d2" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Oil price tumbles as Trump announces ceasefire deal</span></strong></a><strong><span></span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"In any matter where I can be of assistance, I am at your service."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The mouse-lion analogy refers to one of Aesop's fables, about a mouse who was able to free a mighty lion from a net.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The transcript reportedly showed Putin laughed at the remark.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/viktor-orban-offers-to-be-mouse-to-putin-lion-in-reported-phone-call-leak/b7555fb3-0a69-4ea5-aafd-fe5ea812e5ca" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/ben-roberts-smith-arrested-suspicion-of-war-crimes/eecd47fa-2781-4337-b032-1c4982c3c91b" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Ben Roberts-Smith to spend months behind bars</span></strong></a><strong><span></span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Orbán is the European leader on the friendliest terms with Putin, and opposes support for Ukraine. He has railed against the European Union, but has not sought to extract Hungary from the economic bloc.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The reported comments emerge as US Vice President JD Vance jets into the country to boost Orbán's re-election efforts in the biggest challenge to his grip on power in years.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Endorsed by US President </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/donald-trump" rel="" target="_blank" title="Donald Trump"><span>Donald Trump</span></a><span> and hailed as a model for the rest of Europe by US administration officials, the nationalist, pro-Russia Orbán and his party are trailing in polls behind the opposition ahead of Sunday's contest.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/loans-for-electric-cars-surge-90-percent-in-one-month-amid-fuel-crisis/4322fd87-4e92-4680-99d2-3c9753d56603" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Loans for electric cars surge 90 percent in one month amid fuel crisis</span></strong></a><strong><span></span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Indeed, the two adminstrations have drawn so close in recent years that Orbán told reporters this period was a "golden era" of US-Hungary relations, marked by growing economic and defence cooperation.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Meanwhile, Vance underlined the "moral cooperation" between the two adminstrations, explicitly referring to the "Christian civilisation and Christian values" they share at a joint press conference on Tuesday.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It's unusual for a high-profile American official to visit a country so close to an important election, and it's seen as a signal of the lengths the US administration is willing to go to help an embattled global ally.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><span>- with CNN.</span></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></em></strong><span> </span><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><strong><em><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google Play</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://9.nine.com.au/8x987w" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>ticking this box here</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Sign up to</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></em></strong></a></li></ul></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span></span></div></div>