At White House meeting, Hungary's Orban makes case for using Russian oil

8/11/2025 6:16

U.S. President Donald Trump heaped praise on Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Friday at a White House meeting that glossed over differences

about Hungary's use of Russian oil and its disputes with fellow members of the European Union about immigration and Ukraine.



Orban, a long-time Trump ally, sat next to Trump in the White House Cabinet Room for their first bilateral meeting since the Republican returned to power and explained why his country needed to use Russian oil at a time when Trump has been pressing Europe to stop doing so.



Orban said the issue was vital for Hungary, which is a European country, and pledged to lay out "the consequences for the Hungarian people, and for the Hungarian economy, not to get oil and gas from Russia."



Trump, who has been pushing Europe to avoid using Russian energy in order to put pressure on Moscow to end its war with Ukraine, appeared sympathetic to Orban's position.