President Donald Trump presented his authoritarian Hungarian ally Viktor Orban special exemption from Russian energy sanctionswhich was a major boost for the far-right populist whose 15-year reign was used as drawing MAGA movement.
Orbán visited Trump in Washington on Friday, and one of his clear goals was to win the nomination from latest sanctions imposed against Russian oil and gas companies last month.
Hungary is a major importer of Russian energy and the sanctions were imposed to put pressure on its already weak economy ahead of elections next year that pose the biggest challenge to what the European Union calls Orban's “hybrid regime of electoral autocracy.”
In a post on X, Orban said he had received a guarantee of “full sanctions relief” for key pipelines, which would allow Hungary to continue to provide “the lowest energy prices in Europe.”
He said Hungary was in a “significantly different situation” from other European countries, suggesting it would be “impossible” to provide affordable energy if sanctions remained in place.
A White House spokesman told Reuters that Hungary had received a one-year waiver from US sanctions for using Russian oil and gas.
Meanwhile, Hungary has agreed to buy American liquefied natural gas, the State Department said, noting that the contracts are expected to be worth about $600 million.
The two countries also agreed to work together on nuclear energy, with Hungary agreeing to purchase the American nuclear fuel it currently buys from Russia.
During Orbán's premiership, Hungary is one of the few EU member states to maintain warm relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Orban also forged close ties with Trump allies in Washingtonsharing CPAC stages, coordinating through think tanks, and synchronizing anti-immigrant and anti-woke messages across the Atlantic.
In comments to state radio last week, Orban made it clear that he would try to “make the Americans understand” that Hungary needs incentives to continue purchasing Russian energy.
And Hungarian officials said ahead of the meeting that the prime minister intended to discuss a path to a US-Russia meeting and seek relief from US energy sanctions. International Monetary Fund data shows Hungary was dependent on Russia for 74% of its gas and 86% of its oil supplies in 2024.
Trump cancels planned summit with Putin which was supposed to take place in the capital of Hungary, Budapest.after the Russian leader stuck to his tough demands for an end to the war in Ukraine.
Associated Press And Reuters contributed.
