Overview
- Prime Minister Viktor Orbán arrived in Washington for a Friday White House meeting to request that Hungary be exempted from newly expanded U.S. sanctions on Russian oil and gas firms.
- He said the appeal is based on common sense rather than a quid pro quo and insisted he would not offer concessions in exchange for a waiver.
- Hungary warns that restricting dealings with Rosneft and Lukoil could disrupt long‑term contracts and drive up household utility and fuel costs at home.
- The U.S. Treasury announced the designations on October 22, with full enforcement slated for November 21 and potential secondary effects on third‑country partners.
- President Trump said on October 31 that an exemption had been requested and not granted at that time, while Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported Budapest viewed a waiver as possible and noted a recent temporary carve‑out for Rosneft’s German subsidiary in Europe.