U.S. President Donald Trump, after meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Friday at the White House, decided not to impose sanctions on Hungary for purchasing Russian oil and gas for one year, LETA reported, citing AFP.
In October, Trump imposed sanctions on two of Russia's largest oil companies — Rosneft and Lukoil — citing the refusal of Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine as the reason.
Trump urged European countries to stop purchasing Russian oil, which funds the Russian war machine; however, Orban took advantage of his first visit to the White House since Trump's return to power to seek an exemption for Hungary.
During the meeting between Trump and Orban, where they praised each other, Trump stated that he was considering granting Hungary an exemption, as the country depends on supplies of Russian oil and gas due to its geographical location.
"We are looking at this because it is very difficult for them to get oil and gas from other regions. As you know, they don’t have the advantage of the sea," Trump told reporters during the meeting with Orban.
Orban explained to Trump the consequences that a refusal of Russian oil and gas would have for the Hungarian people and the economy of Hungary.
"They are supplied to us via pipeline. The pipeline is not an ideological or political issue. It’s a physical reality because we don’t have ports," Orban clarified.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto stated after the meeting that Washington granted Hungary a "full and unlimited exemption from sanctions against [Russian] oil and gas."
However, a representative of the White House administration told AFP that the exemption is granted for only one year.
In turn, Hungary committed to purchasing liquefied natural gas from the U.S. worth about $600 million, the same representative reported.
