Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday that his country has been exempted from US sanctions on Russian oil imports.
Orbán was speaking to journalists from Hungarian media outlets following his talks with US President Donald Trump.
Trump was hosting Orbán at the White House, with much of his visit focused on Orbán’s request that Trump grant Hungary an exemption from US sanctions on its purchases of Russian oil.
Hungary “received full exemption from sanctions” for Russian oil and gas delivered to Hungary through the Druzhba and TurkStream pipelines, Orbán said.
“We asked the president to lift the sanctions,” Orbán said. He said Hungary is “in a very different situation than other European countries.”
Hungary was given a one-year exemption, according to a White House official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Hungary insists on US exemption on Russian oil and gas
Orbán had previously said he would tell Trump “what consequences not taking oil and gas from Russia would have 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.”
The US president had earlier said during the public part of a bilateral meeting that he was considering exempting Hungary from Russian oil sanctions.
“We’re considering it because it’s very difficult for them to get oil and gas from other areas. As you know, they don’t have the advantage of having the ocean,” Trump told reporters.
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.”
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 and Roshni Majumdar