Hungarian PM Peter Magyar expects Trump to prolong Budapest\u2019s exemption from American energy sanctions targeting Moscow, adding it is significant for the country<\/p>\n
Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar has said that he expects US President Donald Trump to prolong Budapest\u2019s exemption from Washington\u2019s sanctions targeting Russian energy after Trump announced a diesel deal with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.
\nTrump eased restrictions on Russia\u2019s diesel exports following a phone call with Putin last week in an attempt to reduce rising fuel prices ahead of the midterm election in the US on November 3.
\nThe deal faced harsh criticism in the EU, with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni labeling it a \u201cvery risky\u201d gamble that could undermine the whole Western sanctions policy towards Russia. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys argued that it \u201cdoesn\u2019t help neither the price of oil products nor the unity of the transatlantic community.\u201d
\nWhen asked to comment on Trump\u2019s decision during his interview with the outlet 444 on Saturday, Magyar replied by saying that \u201cthe US president will make the deals that he wants. On the other hand, this agreement is significant for Hungary.\u201d<\/p>\n
Read more<\/p>\n
Trump eyes reopening Europe to Russian gas \u2013 NYT<\/p>\n
Moscow has said that it would immediately release 300,000 metric tons of diesel, followed by another 500,000 metric tons next month. According to Russian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandr Novak, the fuel will arrive on the US market within 15 to 20 days after the signing of the relevant contracts between the Russian and American companies, which are currently being discussed.
\n\u201cHungary has an exemption from sanctions on Russian oil until November. This is extended annually by the Americans. If the US president has concluded an agreement on diesel exports, it would be illogical not to grant Hungary this exemption for at least another year,\u201d Magyar said.
\nThe exemption was agreed between Trump and Magyar\u2019s predecessor, Viktor Orban, who was a harsh critic of Western economic restrictions on Moscow over the Ukraine conflict.Due to being a landlocked country, Hungary remains heavily dependent on deliveries of Russian pipeline oil and gas. Some 90% of its crude oil in 2025 had been provided by Moscow, according to S&P Global data.
\nThe Hungarian prime minister stressed that he understood that the Russia-US diesel deal was \u201cnot welcome from Ukraine\u2019s point of view.\u201d<\/p>\n
Read more<\/p>\n
Trump waives \u2018bone-crushing\u2019 Russia sanctions<\/p>\n
After it was announced, Vladimir Zelensky lashed out at Trump, calling the agreement \u201cweak\u201d and insisting that the actual reason for the global energy shortage was not Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries as the US president claimed, but the American war on Iran.
\nFollowing his address at the EU summit in Brussels on Friday, Zelensky told journalists that \u201cwe cannot accept these agreements [between Washington and Moscow]. Because gas deals will follow. And I am absolutely certain of this. After gas, they will lift sanctions on other things as well.\u201d
\nOn Saturday, Trump also signed an executive order to waive \u201cthe bone-crushing\u201d sanctions, championed by the late US Senator Lindsey Graham, which proposed 500% tariffs on imports from Russia and 100% tariffs on major buyers of Russian oil and gas.
\nWhite House Deputy Press Secretary Taylor Rogers defended the move, saying that it \u201cprovides the president with additional authorities to pursue a peaceful resolution\u201d of the Ukraine conflict. \u201cEnforcing the sanctions provisions now would impede ongoing US efforts to negotiate a durable and comprehensive peace agreement,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Hungarian PM Peter Magyar expects Trump to prolong Budapest\u2019s exemption from American energy sanctions targeting Moscow, adding it is significant for the country Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar has said…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":40083,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40082","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","category-environment","category-politics"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t