Hungarian Prime Minister, nationalist Viktor Orban, confirmed this Friday, 31, that he will ask his country for exemption from sanctions against Russian oil companies at next week’s meeting with US President Donald Trump.
“Hungary is a landlocked country, without sea or maritime transport” that can be used to import energy sources, Kossuth said in statements on Magyar public radio.
The Hungarian head of government argued that he must “ensure that [Trump] understand the difficulties.”
Hungary depends on gas and oil imports from the Russian Federation, respectively 85% and 65% of domestic consumption levels.
Washington recently announced sanctions against Russia’s two largest oil companies – Rosneft and Lukoil – in response to Russia’s “lack of serious commitment to a peace process to end the war in Ukraine”.
Orban said today that he will go to the capital of the United States of America (USA), on November 7th, with a large delegation, including ministers, other politicians and businesspeople, to strengthen bilateral relations.
“I think we can become closer,” said the Hungarian Prime Minister, when asked about the postponement of the meeting between Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, scheduled for Budapest.
The Hungarian Prime Minister added that “the USA is in favor of Peace and the Russians have also reached the point of being willing to accept Peace or a ceasefire under certain well-known conditions” and that it is the Ukrainians who are pursuing a “defensive war”, as “they do not want to sign a Peace agreement”.
Trump recently acknowledged that Hungary is in a special situation, as it has no access to the sea or ports.
He mentioned that that European country also does not have sufficient domestic production to meet its needs, which forces it to import energy sources.
An alternative for Hungary would be supply through the “Adria” pipeline, from neighboring Croatia, but Budapest claims that this connection would not be sufficient and would have higher costs, something that the Croatian government disputes.
Sanctions by the US, the European Union and other allies of Kiev are aimed at affecting Russia’s ability to finance the war effort in Ukraine, which it invaded in February 2022.