U.S. President Donald Trump is considering the possibility of exempting Hungary from sanctions imposed against Russian oil. He stated this during a meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who visited the White House.
"We are considering this option because it is very difficult for him [Orban] to get oil and gas from other regions. As you know, they do not have the advantage of access to the sea," Trump is quoted by Reuters, writes Meduza.
As previously expected, the topic of sanctions and energy resources will be one of the main issues during the negotiations between the leaders of the U.S. and Hungary. Additionally, Trump stated that trade and the Russia-Ukraine war will be discussed at the meeting.
During the public part of the meeting in the presence of the press, Trump and Orban agreed that Ukraine's victory would require a "miracle." Both are confident that the war will end soon.
When asked why Trump did not meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest, he replied: "The main problem is that they just do not want to stop yet. But I think they will. In my opinion, it has a significant impact on Russia."
At the end of October, the U.S. imposed sanctions on two major Russian oil companies — Rosneft and Lukoil. Those who continue to buy oil from them face secondary sanctions.
Hungary and Slovakia are the last countries in the European Union that are purchasing Russian oil. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is seeking an exemption from sanctions for his country from the U.S.
Before the meeting between Trump and Orban, Hungary's largest oil and gas company MOL announced that it could replace a large portion of Russian oil supplies with fuel from other sources.
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