After slapping tariffs on India, U.S. sanctions on Russian crude imports… "1-year exemption" for Hungary

U.S. President Donald Trump, who has urged Europe and India to halt imports of Russian energy, decided to not take issue with Hungary for one year as an exception.

According to AFP on the 9th, after a summit at the White House with Hungary, the U.S. decided to allow a one-year sanctions exemption for Hungary's imports of Russian oil and gas. Hungary also pledged to purchase $600 million worth of U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) (about 860 billion won).

When asked by reporters about Hungary's imports of Russian energy, President Trump said, "For him (the Hungarian prime minister), it would be difficult to secure oil and gas from regions other than Russia," and added, "We are looking into (applying the exemption)."

Analysts say Trump's mention of an exemption for Hungary serves to bolster Viktor Orbán, the prime minister known as the 'Trump of Eastern Europe.' Hungary is a member of NATO and the European Union (EU), but it is highly dependent on Russian oil and gas. The volume Hungary receives from Russia via the Druzhba pipeline amounts to 64% of its total oil demand.

President Trump explained, "Hungary has no sea and no ports, so it faces difficult issues," and said, "Hungary is in a different position (from European countries)."

President Trump said of Prime Minister Orbán, who is seeking re-election ahead of the general election in April next year, "A great leader," and "I will support him."

Reporter Kim Ju-wan kjwan@hankyung.com