Trump gave Orban relief from sanctions, but only for a year. It's about choices

Contrary to Prime Minister Viktor Orban's declarations, Hungary has not been “indefinitely” excluded from US sanctions against Russia; President Donald Trump lifted these restrictions for one year only. He did it to support Orban before the elections, the BBC, Euronews and AFP reported on Saturday. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto denies this.

On Friday, not only the Hungarian Prime Minister said that the exemption from American sanctions was indefinite, but Szijjarto also wrote on the X website that it was an “unlimited exemption from sanctions on Russian oil and gas.”

However, the BBC, Euronews and AFP checked this information and a representative of the White House explained that the US was suspending restrictions only for a year.

As Euronews emphasizes, this is “a political victory for Orbán, who heads into the April elections with the Hungarian economy in trouble. Low energy prices could be a decisive factor during the (election) campaign.”

However, Szijjarto wrote on Facebook on Saturday afternoon: “The Prime Minister has made it clear. He has agreed with the US President that we will receive indefinite relief from sanctions.”

Orban said on Friday that by providing complete relief from sanctions on energy sources without any limits or time limits, he had managed to “protect price cuts for utility services. Hungary continues to have the lowest energy costs in Europe.”

The Prime Minister also announced that Hungary will receive further investments from the US, and that both countries have signed an agreement on cooperation between the military and space industries, which will provide Hungary with access to the most modern weapons.

The Hungarian government announced its intention to purchase American defense equipment worth $700 million, according to a statement from the Department of State.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, who was part of the Hungarian delegation, announced on Facebook the signing of an intergovernmental nuclear agreement with the USA regarding the purchase and storage of American nuclear fuel.

According to it, for the first time in the country's history, Hungary will receive American nuclear fuel, currently purchased from Russia, as well as the technology for storing used fuel at the Hungarian Paks nuclear power plant. The agreement will also cover cooperation in the field of small modular reactors. Its value is estimated at $114 million.

The Russian state-owned company Rosatom is building two new nuclear units in Paks with a capacity of 1,200 MW each. Hungary also committed to purchasing American liquefied natural gas LNG; the value of the contracts is to be approximately USD 600 million, the US Department of State reported. (PAP)

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