After a warm meeting between Trump and Orban, the US exempted Hungary..

A White House official said on Friday that the United States has granted Hungary a one-year exemption from US sanctions for the use of Russian oil and gas. The exemption came after Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban pressed for relief during a friendly meeting with President Donald Trump in Washington.

Last month, Trump imposed Ukraine-related sanctions on Russian oil companies Lukoil and Rosneft, threatening further sanctions on entities in countries that purchase oil from these companies.

Orban, a longtime Trump ally, met with Trump at the White House on Friday and explained why his country should continue using Russian oil at a time when Trump is pressuring Europe to stop using Russian oil.

Orban said the issue is important to Hungary, a European country, and vowed to highlight "the consequences for the Hungarian people and the Hungarian economy of not purchasing oil and gas from Russia."

Trump, intent on pressuring Russia to end its war with Ukraine, appeared sympathetic to Orban's stance.

“We’re looking at it, because it’s very different for him to get the oil and gas from other areas,” Trump said. “As you know, they don’t have ... the advantage of having sea. It’s a great country, it’s a big country, but they don’t have sea. They don’t have the ports.”

“But many European countries are buying oil and gas from Russia, and they have been for years,” Trump added. “And I said, ‘What’s that all about?’”

A White House official said that in addition to the sanctions waiver, Hungary has committed to purchasing liquefied natural gas from the United States in contracts worth approximately $600 million.

Hungary has maintained its dependence on Russian energy since the start of the conflict in Ukraine in 2022, a move criticized by several EU and NATO allies.

International Monetary Fund data shows that Hungary relies on Russia for 74% of its gas and 86% of its oil in 2024. They have warned that a complete ban on Russian natural gas by the EU could result in a loss of more than 4% of Hungarian GDP in production.

The two also discussed Russia's war with Ukraine.

Trump said last month that he would meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Hungarian capital, but the meeting was postponed after Russia refused to agree to a ceasefire.

Trump said on Friday that Russia simply does not want to stop the fighting. He said, "The fundamental dispute is that they don't want to stop right now. And I think they will."

The president asked Orban if he thought Ukraine could win the war. Orban replied, "A miracle could happen."

Economic Cooperation

Improved economic cooperation between the US and Hungary was also on the agenda. Orban predicted a "golden age" between the two countries and criticized President Joe Biden's administration, a surefire way to gain support from Trump, who has consistently used Biden as a target for his rivals.

The Hungarian leader, who faces election in 2026, has forged a strong personal relationship with Trump over the past few years, including over their shared hardline immigration policies. Trump on Friday gave Orban his endorsement for the election.

“He has not made a mistake on immigration. So he’s respected by everybody, he’s liked by some ... I like and respect him, I’m a double,” Trump said. “And that’s the way Hungary is being led. They’re being led properly, and that’s why he’s going to be very successful in his upcoming election.”

The European Union's top court ruled last year that Hungary must pay a fine of 200 million euros ($216 million) for failing to change its policy on dealing with migrants and asylum seekers at its border. Hungary will also face a daily fine of one million euros until it fully implements these measures.

Orban mentioned this fine during his meeting with Trump, but stated that Hungary would resolve its intra-EU disputes on its own.

A concrete sign of Hungary's improving relations with the United States under the Trump administration came last month when the US fully restored Hungary's status in its visa waiver program.

Hungary has opposed the European Commission's plan to phase out all Russian gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports by the EU by the end of 2027, further deepening differences with Brussels over relations with Moscow.

Rating agency S&P said Hungary is one of Europe's most energy-intensive economies – and its domestic refineries are built to process Russian Ural crude oil.

While it said gas supplies from Azerbaijan and Qatar could help offset Russian supplies, it warned that Hungary's fiscal and external accounts remain vulnerable to energy shocks.