Overview
- Viktor Orbán met President Trump at the White House on November 7 to request an exemption that would let Hungary keep importing Russian crude.
- Trump said he is studying a waiver, citing Hungary’s difficulty securing alternative supplies because it is landlocked and reliant on pipeline deliveries.
- The United States last month sanctioned Rosneft and Lukoil and gave Western companies one month to sever ties or risk losing access to U.S. banks, insurers, traders and shippers.
- Hungary depended on Russia for about 86% of its crude in 2024, and Orbán warned of consequences for his country if Russian oil and gas stop flowing.
- Orbán traveled with ministers and business leaders to seek U.S. investment and defense cooperation, as Washington also lifted sanctions on aide Antal Rogan and restored Hungary’s visa‑waiver status.