Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán plans to ask US President Donald Trump to exempt Hungary from new American sanctions targeting Russian oil. The meeting is set for 7 November and will be the first bilateral talks between Orbán and Trump since the latter’s return to the White House, Reuters reports.

Orbán says Hungary needs a waiver due to geography and energy reliance

Orbán announced that he will seek relief from the latest US sanctions imposed on Russian oil companies Rosneft and Lukoil. According to him, Hungary’s energy dependence and lack of sea access make it uniquely vulnerable.

“Hungary is a landlocked country... We are dependent on those transport routes through which energy can reach Hungary. These are mostly pipelines,” Orbán said. “We have to make the Americans understand this peculiar situation... if we want them to allow exemptions from the American sanctions against Russia,” he added.

The US sanctions came just days after a fire broke out at the main Danube refinery owned by Hungarian oil group MOL, forcing the plant to operate at reduced capacity, further threatening Hungary’s already fragile fuel situation.

Orbán invokes Germany’s exemption as a precedent

Orbán also cited Germany’s case as justification for Hungary’s request. Berlin had previously secured an exemption from US sanctions for the German assets of Rosneft, which owns a controlling stake in the Schwedt refinery. Reuters reports that Germany’s economy minister confirmed on 29 October that Washington granted the exemption because the refinery is no longer under Russian control.