US President Donald Trump said he would consider allowing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to buy Russian oil as an exemption from sanctions aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.
Speaking during Orban's visit to the White House on Friday, Trump said a discount could be made because “it's very difficult for him.” [Orban] extract oil and gas from other places.”
The comments come after the US effectively blacklisted Russia's two biggest oil companies last month, threatening sanctions against those who buy from them.
After the meeting, Hungary's foreign minister wrote on X that the US had granted Budapest “full and unlimited relief from oil and gas sanctions.”
Trump added that while Hungary faced unique logistical challenges, including access to seas that could be used for oil production, he was “very concerned” about other European countries, which he said continued to buy Russian goods despite being landlocked.
Orban, who is one of Trump's closest allies in Europe and who has long resisted EU efforts to pressure Moscow over Ukraine, defended his energy ties with Russia, saying on Friday that the pipelines were neither “ideological” nor “political” but a “physical reality” due to the lack of ports.
He is using his country's heavy dependence on Russian oil and gas as a means of maintaining good relations with Moscow and also as a platform on which he hopes to win re-election next April in Hungary. He promised voters “cheap Russian energy.”
Trump and Orban also discussed the war in Ukraine on Friday – their first formal talks since Trump returned to power – including the possibility of holding talks with Putin.
“He [Orban] understands Putin and knows him very well… I think Victor feels that we will end this war in the not too distant future,” Trump said.
Meanwhile, the Hungarian leader said that only two of their countries really want peace in Ukraine.
“All other governments prefer to continue the war because many of them think that Ukraine can win on the front line, and this is a misunderstanding of the situation.”
Trump asked him: “So you would say Ukraine can’t win this war?” To which Orban replied: “You know, a miracle can happen.”
Beyond the issue of oil and gas sanctions, Hungary's export-oriented auto industry has been hit by Trump's tariffs on European goods, exacerbating an already weak economy.
Despite frequent clashes with EU leaders over issues of migration, democracy and the rule of law, Trump called on Europe to “respect this leader very, very much because he was right on immigration.”
with additional reporting by Nick Thorpe
