White House: Hungary’s Russian energy exemption is temporary, not permanent

The U.S. administration has denied Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó’s claim that Budapest received a permanent exemption from sanctions on the use of Russian oil and gas.

According to Reuters, which cited a White House spokesperson, the exemption does exist but is limited to one year. Thus, the Hungarian statement about a “permanent” exemption does not align with Washington’s position.

In addition, Reuters notes that Hungary has committed to diversifying its energy sources and signing contracts for the purchase of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United States worth about $600 million.

Earlier, Szijjártó stated that the agreement on the exemption from sanctions had been reached during a meeting between Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and U.S. President Donald Trump.

By Khagan Isayev