Trump considers giving Hungary an exemption on Russian oil sanctions
US President Donald Trump said he would consider allowing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to buy Russian oil as part of a sanctions waiver aimed at helping end the Ukraine war.
Speaking during Orban’s visit to the White House on Friday, Trump said the funding could be given “because this is very difficult for him” [Orban] To import oil and gas from other regions”.
The comments come after the United States effectively blacklisted Russia’s two largest oil companies last month, threatening sanctions on companies that buy oil from them.
After the meeting, the Hungarian foreign minister wrote to X that the United States had granted Budapest “full and unlimited exemption from oil and gas sanctions.”
Trump added that Hungary faces unique logistical challenges, including access to a sea that could be used to extract oil, but is “very uncomfortable” with other European countries that continue to buy Russian goods despite not being landlocked.
Orban, one of Trump’s closest allies in Europe who has long resisted EU efforts to pressure Moscow over Ukraine, defended energy ties with Russia on Friday, saying the pipelines are neither “ideological” nor “political” but a “physical reality” due to a lack of ports.
He is using his country’s heavy dependence on Russian oil and gas as both a means to maintain good relations with Moscow and a platform from which he hopes to win re-election in Hungary next April. He promised voters “cheap Russian energy.”
Trump and Orban also discussed the war in Ukraine on Friday; It was their first official meeting since Trump came to power and included the possibility of meeting Putin.
“HE [Orban] He understands Putin and knows him very well… I think Viktor thinks we will end this war in the not too distant future,” Trump said.
Meanwhile, the Hungarian leader said only two nations truly want peace in Ukraine.
“All other governments prefer to continue the war because many think that Ukraine can win on the front line, which is a misunderstanding of the situation.”
Trump asked him: “So you think Ukraine can’t win this war?” To which Orban replied: “You know, a miracle can happen.”
Besides the oil and gas sanctions issue, Hungary’s export-oriented auto industry has also been hit by Trump’s tariffs on European goods, further worsening the already weak economy.
Despite frequent clashes with EU leaders over immigration, democracy and the rule of law, Trump warned Europe to “have a very, very strong respect for this leader because he was right on immigration.”
With additional reporting by Nick Thorpe
