The United States has granted Hungary a one-year exemption from sanctions on importing oil and gas from Russia, a White House official confirmed, following a meeting between President Donald Trump and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in Washington. The exemption comes after Trump imposed Ukraine-related sanctions on Russian oil companies Lukoil and Rosneft last month.
During their first bilateral meeting since Trump returned to power, Orbán explained why his country needed Russian oil, citing Hungary's lack of access to the sea. Trump appeared sympathetic, stating, 'We're looking at it, because it's very different for him to get the oil and gas from other areas ... they don't have the advantage of having sea.'
In addition to the sanctions exemption, Hungary committed to buying $600m worth of US liquefied natural gas. Orbán also praised Trump and criticised the previous Biden administration as 'rigged', an allusion to Trump's unsubstantiated claims about the 2020 election. Trump called Orbán a 'great leader' and praised his hardline stance on immigration, urging European leaders to show more respect.
Orbán has clashed repeatedly with EU leaders over migration, democracy, and rule of law. He defended his migration policies and lashed out at EU financial penalties, saying, 'This is the absurd world we are living in now in Europe.' Orbán is also seeking a Trump visit to Budapest to boost his chances in upcoming elections, and wants a summit between Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine.
