US grants Hungary one-year exemption from Russia oil sanctions after Orban-Trump meeting at White House

The US has granted Hungary a one-year exemption from sanctions on importing Russian oil and gas, The Guardian reported, citing a White House official.

The decision followed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s meeting with Donald Trump at the White House on Friday, during which Orbán pressed for continued energy trade with Moscow. He argued that Hungary, a landlocked nation, has few viable alternatives for oil and gas supplies.

Trump, describing Orbán as “a friend,” said he was considering the exemption because “it’s very difficult for him [Orbán] to get the oil and gas from other areas.”

The move marks a major win for Orbán, who had warned that sanctions on Russian energy would devastate Hungary’s economy. Following the meeting, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó wrote on X that Budapest had received “a full and unlimited exemption from sanctions on oil and gas,” though a White House official later clarified that it would last only one year.

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Last month, Trump imposed sanctions on Russian oil giants Lukoil and Rosneft, threatening penalties for countries that continued purchasing from them. The decision to exempt Hungary appears to contradict that policy, though Washington officials said Budapest agreed to buy several hundred million dollars’ worth of American natural gas as part of the deal.

Trump appeared sympathetic to Hungary’s position, saying he was “very disturbed” by other European nations that still buy Russian energy despite not being landlocked. He described Hungary’s case as “unique,” given its heavy reliance on pipelines.

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Defending his country’s energy ties with Moscow, Orbán said, “Pipelines are not ideological or political, but physical realities.” He has long resisted European Union pressure to cut Russian imports and has promised voters “cheap Russian energy” ahead of elections next spring.

The two leaders also discussed the war in Ukraine. Trump said, “He [Orbán] understands Putin and knows him very well… I think Viktor feels we’re going to get that war ended in the not-too-distant future.”

Orbán agreed, saying that only the US and Hungary truly want peace. “All the other governments prefer to continue the war because they think Ukraine can win on the front line, which is a misunderstanding of the situation,” he said. When Trump asked if Ukraine could win, Orbán replied, “You know, a miracle can happen.”

The meeting also addressed trade tensions, with Hungary’s export-driven car industry struggling under Trump’s tariffs on European goods. Despite Orbán’s frequent clashes with EU leaders over migration and rule of law, Trump urged Europe to “respect this leader very, very strongly because he’s been right on immigration.”