Khaberni - U.S. President Donald Trump granted his right-wing ally, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a one-year exemption from sanctions imposed on the purchase of Russian oil and gas, following their meeting at the White House last Friday, according to a White House official yesterday.
While Trump urges other European countries to stop buying Russian oil, which he says funds Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine, Orban took advantage of his first visit to the White House since the Republican president returned to power to secure special treatment.
Last month, Trump imposed sanctions on Ukraine on the two Russian oil companies, Lukoil and Rosneft, which included threats of further sanctions on entities in countries that buy oil from these two companies.
In their first bilateral meeting since Trump’s return to power, Orban explained to him why his country needs to use Russian oil, considering it vital for Hungary and pledged to clarify "the consequences that the Hungarian people and economy would bear if the supply of oil and gas from Russia were to stop."
For his part, Trump justified Hungary's exemption by arguing that it is a landlocked country with no sea access, making it reliant on pipelines and Russian oil and gas, while criticizing other European countries that purchase oil and gas from Russia.
At the same time, Hungary has committed to purchasing liquefied natural gas from the United States worth $600 million, according to the American official.
Hungary has relied on Russian energy since the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war in 2022, which has drawn criticism from some of its allies in the European Union and NATO.
The Hungarian Prime Minister has maintained close relations with both Moscow and Washington, while often opposing the rest of the European Union in pressuring Russia.
