Donald Trump has granted Hungary a one-year exemption from U.S. sanctions on purchasing oil and gas from Russia, according to a White House official.
During Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s visit to the White House, Trump said an exemption was being considered because Hungary faces difficulties in obtaining oil and gas from other sources.
Earlier, the U.S. had blacklisted major Russian oil companies, threatening sanctions against those who deal with them.
After the meeting, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said that the U.S. had given Hungary a “full exemption” from the sanctions, although an official confirmed that the exemption would last for one year only.
Hungary has agreed to purchase hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of U.S. natural gas. The deal could face opposition in some European countries due to Hungary’s close ties with Russia.
Orban, a personal and political ally of Trump, has used his country’s reliance on Russian energy to maintain relations with Moscow and to gain voter support by promising “cheap Russian energy.”
Trump and Orban also discussed the war in Ukraine, including the possibility of talks with Putin. Orban said that only their two countries truly want peace in Ukraine.
Aside from the energy sanctions issue, Hungary’s car industry has been affected by Trump’s tariffs on European goods, adding to the country’s economic challenges. Despite disagreements with EU leaders, Trump urged Europe to respect Orban for his strong stance on immigration.
