Orbán rushes to meet Trump as Russian oil supplies to Hungary come under threat
Photo: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and US President Donald Trump (Getty Images)
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán wants to meet with US President Donald Trump to discuss the "necessity" of Russian oil supplies to Hungary, according to Bloomberg.
The media outlet writes that Hungary’s reliance on Russian oil could threaten its energy security, as the US has imposed sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil. Meanwhile, the EU has decided to completely ban financial transactions with Rosneft and Gazprom Neft, as well as to phase out imports of Russian LNG by 2027.
"I will soon be in Washington to discuss this with President Trump. We will try to find a way out, especially for Hungary," Orbán said during his visit to Rome.
Later, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó clarified that Orbán’s visit to Washington is expected to take place in the second half of next week. He did not specify the exact date.
Bloomberg notes that Budapest is trying to convince Washington that, because of its landlocked position, Hungary cannot abandon Russian oil supplies, even though an alternative pipeline through Croatia connects the country to the Adriatic Sea.
US Ambassador to NATO’s criticism
Earlier, US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker stated that Hungary, unlike its neighboring countries, had not developed a contingency plan if Russian oil and gas supplies were cut off.
According to Whitaker, the US will continue to work with Budapest, as well as with neighboring countries, to help Hungary completely abandon Russian energy resources.
The ambassador added that the United States is ready to assist Hungary in the process of phasing out Russian oil and gas.a
