Watch: Trump meets with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the White House

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Friday that his country has received an exemption from U.S. sanctions on Russian energy after a White House meeting with President Donald Trump.

Watch the Trump-Orban meeting in the player above.

This allowance would maintain the flow of Russian oil and gas to Hungary, indicating the close rapprochement between the two leaders.

Orbán was accompanied to Washington by a large delegation of Cabinet members, business leaders, and several right-wing political influencers with close ties to the Hungarian government. The delegation chartered a 220-passenger commercial aircraft from Hungarian airline Wizz Air for this trip.

Before Orban’s arrival on Thursday, a bipartisan group of US senators introduced a resolution calling on Hungary to end its dependence on Russian energy.

10 senators participated in signing the resolution, including Republicans Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, and Chuck Grassley of Iowa, in addition to Democrats Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Chris Coons of Delaware. “It expresses concern that Hungary has shown no sign of reducing its dependence on Russian fossil fuels,” and urges Budapest to adhere to an EU plan to halt all Russian energy imports to the bloc by the end of 2027.

“Europe has made exceptional progress in severing its energy ties with Moscow, but Hungary’s actions continue to undermine collective security and embolden the Kremlin,” Sahin wrote in a statement. She added that the decision “sends a clear message that when it comes to purchasing Russian energy, all allies must adhere to the same standard, and this includes Hungary.”

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said Friday in Washington that he will sign a bilateral nuclear energy cooperation agreement with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to Hungarian state news agency MTI.

The deal includes Hungary’s purchase of US nuclear fuel for the first time ever, which it currently purchases from Russia, and the introduction of US technology to store spent fuel on-site at the Pakse nuclear plant in Hungary. The agreement will also include cooperation in the field of small modular reactors.

After arriving in Washington, Orban and some of his senior officials met with Eduardo Bolsonaro, the son of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who was sentenced in September to 27 years in prison for plotting a coup after losing the election. Orbán posted on social media: “We stand firm with Bolsonaro in these difficult times – friends and allies who never give up. Keep fighting: there is no place for a political witch hunt in a democracy, truth and justice must prevail!”

Orban says there is no alternative to Russian oil

At the heart of Orban’s appeals for an exemption lies his claim that Hungary, a landlocked country in the heart of Central Europe, has no viable alternatives to Russian crude, and that replacing those supplies would lead to economic collapse. Critics dispute this claim.

However, Trump suggested that Orban’s arguments may have struck a chord. In October, he called Orban a “very great leader” and said Hungary was “kind of stuck” when it comes to Russian oil purchases. Trump said that Hungary has “one pipeline” – the Druzhba, which transports Russian crude through Ukraine to Central Europe.

However, the other pipeline, Adria, which originates from Croatia’s Adriatic coast, also transports non-Russian crude to Hungary’s main refinery – a route that critics of Orban and the Croatian oil transport company say could meet Hungary’s energy needs.

Daniel Fried, a fellow at the Atlantic Council and a former US ambassador to Poland, rejected Orban’s complaints that Hungary has no other energy options.

“Don’t insult everyone’s intelligence,” Farid said, noting that Poland, which is also located in central Europe, has spent years preparing alternatives. “Hungary did none of this. They complained and complained.”

While most EU member states reduced or sharply halted imports of Russian fossil fuels after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Hungary and neighboring Slovakia maintained pipeline deliveries. Hungary even increased the share of Russian oil in its energy mix from 61% before the war to about 86%, according to a report by independent researchers.

Peter Roff, a senior fellow and director of the Center for Europe and Eurasia at the Washington-based Hudson Institute, said that although Hungary has a competitive advantage over other European countries by purchasing Russian supplies, “President Trump’s decision to wield the hammer of sanctions against Russian oil… has clearly caught Hungary’s attention.”

“Budapest has resisted diversifying its energy mix for years, despite constant urging,” Ruff said. “Alarm bells should be ringing in Budapest now.”

Budapest summit?

In October, Trump announced that he would meet again with Putin for negotiations on ending the war in Ukraine, and that the capital of Hungary would provide the venue. The decision was considered a victory for Orban, and an attempt by Trump to provide a political boost to his ally, who is scheduled to face in April the most challenging elections in his last 15 years in power.

Orbán praised the decision to hold the meeting in Budapest, and suggested that the choice could be seen as a “political achievement.”

But the meeting was quickly cancelled, with Trump saying he did not want a “wasted meeting” with Putin, who has shown no signs of backing down on his extreme war demands.

However, officials in Budapest remain hopeful that a meeting between Trump and Putin is possible. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó said on Wednesday at a press conference that at the top of the agenda for Friday’s meeting was “the possibility of achieving peace in Ukraine.”

He added: “If the American-Russian preparatory work succeeds, Hungary is ready to host a peace summit.”

Hungary, a NATO member, has refused to supply weapons to neighboring Ukraine or allow them to be transported across its border. Orban has threatened to veto some EU sanctions against Moscow, and has blocked the bloc’s adoption of major financing packages for Kiev.

Orban often takes a hostile stance toward Ukraine and its president, Volodymyr Zelensky, and consistently portrays his European partners who prefer to help Kiev defend it as warmongers. However, many of Orban’s critics in the European Union view Hungary’s position as favoring the aggressor in the war and dividing European unity in the face of Russian threats.

With few friends in Europe, the Hungarian leader is counting on Trump’s favor. Fried, the Atlantic Council fellow, said that after Orban’s massive investment in Trump’s MAGA ecosystem, with his meeting on Friday he “will find out what he’s worth.”

Spike reported from Budapest.