Hungarian PM Orbán to Discuss US Russian Oil Sanctions with Trump

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán plans to meet with US President Donald Trump in Washington next week to discuss the impact of new US sanctions on Russian oil companies Rosneft and Lukoil, which Hungary heavily depends on for energy. Orbán criticized the sanctions as going too far and emphasized Hungary's need to find a sustainable economic solution given its reliance on Russian oil and gas to avoid energy price spikes and supply shortages. Hungarian officials, including Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, are currently assessing the legal and practical effects of these sanctions, with hopes to seek exemptions or ways to circumvent them. The US Treasury imposed these sanctions as a pressure tactic on Russia to end the war in Ukraine, but Orbán indicated that Europe has little role in resolving the conflict. US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker has urged Hungary to reduce its dependence on Russian energy, contrasting with Hungary's increased imports. Both leaders' meeting underscores the tensions between US foreign policy efforts and Hungary's energy security concerns amid the ongoing Ukraine conflict.