President Donald Trump hosted Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the White House to discuss Hungary’s Russian oil reliance and prospects for ending the war in Ukraine. Trump signaled openness to exempting Hungary—a key EU partner but Russian energy holdout—from new US sanctions on Russian oil, citing Hungary’s landlocked geography and lack of alternatives. Both leaders called for a “peaceful solution” to the Ukraine conflict and stressed their close alliance, even as Orban drew criticism within the EU for undercutting Ukraine and favoring Moscow. Plans for a Trump-Putin summit in Budapest remain suspended after Russia refused a ceasefire. The meeting underlines the complex web of US, EU, and Russian interests as the fourth year of the Ukraine war draws near.
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