Viktor Orbán is set to meet Donald Trump at the White House on Friday as the Hungarian premier seeks an exemption from US sanctions that would allow his country to continue importing Russian oil.
The Trump administration last month turned up the pressure on Moscow to end its war in Ukraine by adding Russia’s oil majors Lukoil and Rosneft to its sanctions list. The Russian companies have significant operations in Hungary, which has resisted Europe’s push to sever its energy links to Russia after the 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Orbán, who is close to both Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, has warned that his country faced a severe economic shock if deprived of Russian oil. The premier faces elections in April, and his party is lagging behind an upstart rival who poses the first major challenge to Orbán’s 15-year rule.