British News Agency

President Donald Trump views Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban as a model for his sweeping reforms in a second term – a kind of political soulmate. Weeks after the U.S. decided to impose sanctions on two Russian oil companies, Trump will meet Orban at the White House.

Orban arrives at the White House on Friday focused on securing an exemption from the sanctions. Officials inside and outside the administration do not rule out the possibility that Trump might grant such an exemption, noting that Hungary’s close ties with both Russia and Trump are factors working in Orban’s favor.

Granting an exemption to Hungary would amount to a significant rollback of Trump’s sanctions regime against Russia. It would also be a symbolic setback for Ukrainian and European leaders who, for months, have been pressing the president to increase pressure on Moscow.

An EU official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly, said, “We are quite used to efforts to undermine European unity, and we know that Trump likes one-on-one meetings with leaders.” If Trump grants the exemption, “it could be a symbolic step backward in terms of the message it sends to Putin and the rest of the world about a lack of resolve to truly punish Russia. In practice, however, it will be much harder to achieve,” he added.

Orban has described Trump’s sanctions on Russia as a “mistake,” arguing that his country is not ready to suddenly end its dependence on Russian oil due to economic conditions. Last month he said, “Hungary is highly dependent on Russian oil and gas. Without them, energy prices will skyrocket, leading to shortages in supply.”

Given Trump’s closeness to the populist leader who has taken control of numerous state institutions and tested the resilience of Hungarian democracy, Trump may be inclined to grant Orban an exemption.