U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed on 31 October that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has formally requested an exemption from the recently announced American sanctions targeting Russia’s oil sector. Speaking aboard Air Force One, President Trump, who referred to Mr Orban as “a friend of his,” stated that the request had been made but not yet granted. The request comes ahead of Mr Orban’s planned visit to Washington next week for his first bilateral meeting with the U.S. President since returning to power in January.
The Trump administration last week unveiled full blocking sanctions against Russia’s state-linked oil giants, Rosneft Oil Company and Lukoil OAO, and dozens of their subsidiaries, a move intended to restrict the Kremlin’s access to revenues that fund its ongoing military campaign. These measures could expose foreign buyers, including customers in Central Europe, India, and China, to secondary sanctions. Mr Orban confirmed his intention to seek exemptions, arguing, “We have to make the Americans understand this strange situation if we want exceptions to the American sanctions that are hitting Russia.”
Despite most European Union member states significantly reducing or halting Russian fossil fuel imports since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Hungary and Slovakia have continued to receive pipeline deliveries. Hungary has notably increased the share of Russian oil in its energy mix, claiming that replacing these supplies would trigger an economic crisis, a contention which critics reject. Mr Orban maintains that landlocked Hungary is highly dependent on Russian crude oil transported via pipeline routes.
Widely regarded as Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest partner within the European Union, Mr Orban has maintained ties with Moscow despite the war and has repeatedly characterised Ukraine as a threat to Hungary’s security and economy. The Hungarian leader asserted that both Washington and Moscow desire an end to the conflict but placed the blame for obstructing peace on Kyiv and the European Union. A reported meeting between President Trump and President Putin in Budapest was cancelled after Russian officials allegedly signalled opposition to an immediate ceasefire.
Mr Orban further announced that he would travel to the U.S. with a “large delegation” of ministers and economic and security officials for “a complete review” of U.S.–Hungarian relations, hoping to finalise a new package of economic cooperation and American investments. He stressed, however, that securing Hungary’s continued access to Russian energy is a prerequisite for any such deal. The outcome of his appeal for an oil sanctions waiver is now a key focus ahead of the meeting.
