Star Metro - Trump gives Hungary's Orban one-year Russia oil sanctions reprieve

Trump slapped sanctions on Moscow's two largest oil companies in October after losing patience with Russian President Vladimir Putin over his refusal to end the nearly four-year-old invasion of Ukraine.

But while Trump has pushed other European countries to stop buying oil that he says funds Moscow's war machine, Orban used his first trip to the White House since Trump's return to power to push for special treatment.

As they heaped praise on each other, Trump said he was considering an exemption because landlocked Hungary had to rely on pipelines that made it dependent on Russian oil and gas.

"As you know they don't have the advantage of having sea," Trump told reporters.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said after the meeting that Washington had granted a "full and unlimited exemption from sanctions on oil and gas."

But a White House official told AFP that Hungary's exemption was only for one year.

Hungary had meanwhile committed to purchasing US liquified natural gas worth around $600 million, the official said.

- 'Miracle' -

The Hungarian prime minister has maintained close ties with both Moscow and Washington, while often bucking the rest of the EU on pressuring Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

Orban offered to host a summit in Budapest between Trump and Putin, although the US leader called it off in October and hit Moscow with sanctions for the first time in his presidency.

At the White House, Orban pressed his case that Russian energy was vital for Hungary."Pipeline is not an ideological or political issue. It's a physical reality because we don't have port(s)," Orban said.

Washington has given firms who work with Russian oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil one month to cut ties or face secondary sanctions, which would deny them access to US banks, traders, shippers and insurers.

Orban also said it would take a "miracle" for Ukraine to beat Moscow, underscoring the gulf between him and other European leaders on the war.

- 'Respect Hungary' -

Trump meanwhile wholeheartedly backed Orban on the touchstone issue of migration, saying that the Hungarian's European Union counterparts should show him more respect.

Orban has long thumbed his nose at the EU over migration. He has also refused to send military aid to Ukraine and opposes Kyiv's EU bid, and has had frequent run-ins with Brussels on the rule of law and other issues.

"I think they should respect Hungary and respect this leader very, very strongly because he's been right on immigration," Trump told reporters.

Trump, who has carried out a sweeping crackdown on immigration at home, again alleged a link between migrants and crime, which is not backed up by statistics in the United States.

Orban visited his "dear friend" Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida three times last year, but the US president's return to power has had a mixed effect on Hungary.

Washington has withdrawn sanctions against top Orban aide Antal Rogan and restored the country's status in a visa waiver scheme.

But Trump's tariffs against the European Union have hit Hungary's export-oriented car industry hard, contributing to an already weak economy.

Experts said the meeting with the US president was expected to give at least a "symbolic" win to Orban, who faces an unprecedented challenge to his 15-year rule ahead of elections next spring amid economic stagnation.

F.Tremblay--SMC