Trump promises to stop Orbán from purchasing Russian oil
Donald Trump, President of the United States (photo: Getty Images)
US leader Donald Trump said he would force Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to abandon Russian oil, according to a statement by the US president.
During a conversation with journalists, Trump was reminded that the Hungarian prime minister had refused to stop purchasing Russian oil.
"He is a friend of mine. I have not spoken to him, but I have a feeling that if I did, he might stop. And I think I'll be doing that," the US president said.
Earlier, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó stated that Hungary will not give up its Russian energy resources despite US demands. According to him, the country cannot ensure energy security without Russian oil and gas.
"We can't ensure the safe supply (of energy products - ed.) for our country without Russian oil or gas sources," Szijjártó noted.
Trump's position on Russian oil
The US president demanded that NATO allies completely stop importing Russian oil. Trump stated that he is ready to impose major sanctions against Russia once all NATO countries cease buying Russian oil.
The main recipients of Russian oil remain Hungary and Slovakia, which resist EU demands to abandon energy resources from Russia. Each year, the state company MOL imports about 5 million tons of oil through the Druzhba pipeline.
At the same time, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán remains one of the closest European allies of the US president. He maintains working relations with Russia and criticizes Ukraine.
According to IMF data, the aggressor state continues to play a key role in Hungary's energy supply. Last year, 74% of the country's gas consumption and 86% of its oil imports came from Russia.
Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that US President Donald Trump is very dissatisfied with Hungary and Slovakia continuing to purchase oil from Russia.
