US President Donald Trump welcomed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to the White House on Friday for their first bilateral meeting since Trump returned to power in January.
As the leaders met, Trump promised to consider a waiver for Hungary on Russian oil sanctions.
“We are considering this because it is very difficult for them to get oil and gas from other areas. As you know they do not have the advantage of having an ocean,” he said.
Orbán, meanwhile, said he would explain to Trump “what the consequences of not getting oil and gas from Russia would be for the Hungarian people and the Hungarian economy.”
Orbán said, “Because we are supplied by pipelines. Pipelines are not an ideological or political issue. It is a physical reality because we do not have ports.”
Trump calls on Europe to ‘respect’ Hungary
Trump also said EU leaders should show more respect for Orbán, who has turned his back on migration.
He said, “I think they should respect Hungary and respect this leader very, very strongly because he has been right on immigration.”
Trump said their meeting would focus on energy cooperation, trade and the war in Ukraine. The leaders will also discuss the path forward for the US-Russia summit. Last month, Trump had announced that he would meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest. However, the meeting was postponed after Russia rejected the ceasefire.
Shortly before the meeting between Trump and Orbán, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó revealed plans to purchase nuclear fuel rods from the United States. According to a report by government agency MTI, these rods will be used in two Russian-built nuclear power plants.
Hungary’s dependence on Russian oil
Orbán is a longtime ally of Trump and the two leaders share similar views on immigration. However, the topic of Russian oil has soured their relationship.
Trump has insisted that European countries stop buying Russian oil in order to cut off Moscow’s funding for a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. However, Hungary has continued to rely on Russian energy since the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022.
According to International Monetary Fund data, Hungary was dependent on Russia for 74% of its gas and 86% of its oil in 2024. The fund warned that production losses in Hungary from Russian natural gas cuts alone could exceed 4% of its GDP.
Hungary has opposed a European Commission plan to phase out EU imports of all Russian gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) by the end of 2027. This has deepened the rift between Hungary and Brussels over relations with Moscow.
Edited by: Zack Crellin