Trump exempts Hungary from sanctions for buying Russian oil

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Friday his country received an exemption from US sanctions on imports of Russian oil.

Orban was speaking with reporters from Hungarian media outlets following his talks with US President Donald Trump.

Trump was hosting Orban at the White House, with much of the visit having centered around Orban's request that Trump provide Hungary with an exemption from US sanctions on purchases of Russian oil. 

Hungary "received full exemption from sanctions" for Russian oil and gas delivered to Hungary from the Druzhba and TurkStream pipelines, Orban said.

"We asked the president to lift the sanctions," Orban said, adding that Hungary is "in a significantly different situation than other European countries."

According to a White House official who spoke on condition of anonymity, Hungary was granted a one-year exemption.

Hungary pushes for US exemption on Russian oil and gas

Orban earlier said he would tell Trump "the consequences for the Hungarian people and for the Hungarian economy not to get oil and gas from Russia."

"Because we are supplied by pipelines. Pipeline is not an ideological or political issue. It's a physical reality because we don't have port(s)," Orban said.

The US president said during the public portion of a bilateral meeting earlier that he was considering granting Hungary a waiver from Russian oil sanctions.

"We are looking at it because it is very difficult for him to get the oil and gas from other areas. As you know, they don't have the advantage of having sea," Trump told reporters.

Trump calls on Europe to 'respect' Hungary

Trump also said that European Union leaders should show more respect to Orban, who has thumbed his nose at them over migration.

"I think they should respect Hungary and respect this leader very, very strongly because he's been right on immigration," he said.

Last month, Trump announced that he would meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest. However, the meeting was postponed after Russia rejected a ceasefire.

Shortly before a meeting between Trump and Orban, Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto revealed plans to buy nuclear fuel rods from the United States.

According to a report by the state agency MTI, the rods would be used in two Russian-built nuclear power plants.

Hungary's reliance on Russian oil

Orban is a longtime Trump ally, and the two leaders share similar views on immigration. However, the topic of Russian oil has soured their relationship.

Trump has insisted that European nations stop buying Russian oil to cut off Moscow's funding for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. However, Hungary has continued to rely on Russian energy since the start of the wart in Ukraine in 2022.

According to International Monetary Fund figures, Hungary relied on Russia for 74% of its gas and 86% of its oil in 2024. The Fund warned that a cutoff of Russian natural gas alone could result in output losses in Hungary exceeding 4% of its GDP.

Hungary has pushed back against the European Commission's plans to phase out EU imports of all Russian gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) by the end of 2027. This deepens the rift between Hungary and Brussels over relations with Moscow.