Trump plans to reward Orbán with Russian oil
The US president has said he is "considering" doing so after imposing sanctions on two major Russian oil companies
Washington/BarcelonaHungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán arrived in Washington on Friday with one objective: to ask Donald Trump to exempt him from the sanctions for buying Russian oil that Washington has imposed to punish Moscow's unwillingness to resolve the conflict with UkraineAnd it seems to have gone ahead. During the meeting in the Oval Office, the US president raised the possibility of making an exception for his major ally in Europe and acknowledged his dependence on energy from Moscow. "We are looking into it because it is very difficult for them to obtain oil and gas from other areas," Trump told reporters.
"All diplomatic negotiations are difficult, but I expect a friendly and easy negotiation," Orbán had predicted before the meeting. And he downplayed the matter: "I know the president, he knows me, we know the issue. We simply have to reach an agreement." Trump and Orbán share a populist and authoritarian temperament, an exaggeratedly nationalist discourse, and a mutual admiration. And it is precisely because This alliance is rooted in shared values and ways of doing things. that the Hungarian leader was confident he could win the US president's indulgence.
After months of threats, Trump finally imposed sanctions on two Russian oil companies in October, when the Kremlin made it clear it was not prepared to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine. The president, who has repeatedly criticized European countries for continuing to import significant amounts of Russian oil and gas, is confident that increased economic pressure will eventually push Moscow toward peace talks.
An exemption for Hungary would be a significant reward for Orbán's loyalty to Washington, but above all, it would reward his dissent within the European Union. Since the start of the war, Budapest has maintained its energy dependence on Russia and has looked the other way when Brussels demanded a stronger stance against the KremlinBy boycotting several sanctions packages proposed by the European Commission.
Such a concession would also send an unequivocal message to European leaders about the White House's resolve in its policy toward Moscow. Brussels has been pressuring Trump for months to take a tougher stance against Vladimir Putin, and reversing these energy sanctions would not only benefit Orbán but could also be interpreted as a show of force against Europe—almost a humiliation for its leaders—and as an affront to the other, still-strong, EU member states.
Trump's favorite
A sign of the good relationship with Trump came last month when the United States fully restored Hungary's status in its visa waiver program after two years of restrictions for security reasons. Viktor Orbán has become an icon in the MAGA universe. They admire his immigration policies, conservatism and adherence to traditional values, and rhetoric. antiwokeBut above all, Orbán has so far been the leader best positioned as an interlocutor between Trump and Putin. It is no coincidence that he proposed Budapest as the capital to host the bilateral summit between the two leaders, which was scheduled for October. But the meeting was suspended after Moscow rejected a ceasefire proposal. Now, Orbán could once again be key to calming the waters between the Kremlin and the White House.
