Sawt Falasteen - Hungary's Orban to meet Trump in face of Russia oil sanctions

The United States hit Russia's two biggest oil producers with sanctions last month, the first such measures targeting Moscow since Trump returned to the White House, in a bid to end the war in Ukraine.

Hungary -- the closest ally in the European Union of both Trump and the Kremlin -- depends heavily on Russian oil and gas despite EU efforts to wean itself off.

Orban -- who will be accompanied by a large delegation, including six ministers -- has said he would seek a sanctions waiver on Russian energy, deeming Trump made a mistake "from the Hungarian point of view".

"I will soon be in Washington to discuss this with President Trump," Orban told Italy's La Repubblica daily in a recent interview.

"We are discussing how to build a sustainable system for my country's economy, because Hungary depends very much on Russian oil and gas. Without them, energy prices will skyrocket, causing shortages in our reserves."

The two are also expected to discuss the war in Ukraine. Budapest had been tapped last month to host a US-Russia summit but Trump called it off before a date was set.

Experts say the meeting with the US president is expected to give at least a "symbolic" win to Orban, who faces an unprecedented challenge to his 15-year rule ahead of elections next spring amid economic stagnation.

- Mixed bag -

"Since President Trump's re-election, new perspectives have opened up in Hungarian-American relations," Orban said on social media Thursday before leaving for Washington, hailing a "new chapter".

Orban visited his "dear friend" Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida three times last year, but the US president's return to power has had a mixed effect on Hungary.

Washington has withdrawn sanctions against top Orban aide Antal Rogan and restored the country's status in a visa waiver scheme.

But Trump's tariffs against the European Union have hit Hungary's export-oriented car industry hard, contributing to an already weak economy.

Daniel Hegedus, central Europe director at the German Marshall Fund (GMF), said Trump could eventually show some flexibility on Orban's request on the oil sanctions.

Washington has given firms who work with sanctioned Russian oil giants Rosneft and Lukoil one month to cut ties or face secondary sanctions, which would deny them access to US banks, traders, shippers and insurers.

"There surely will be some kind of symbolic result that can be communicated by both parties" after their meeting, Hegedus told AFP, adding that Trump has "already proved he is willing to help out his ideological allies".

"I expect Trump will give a victory to Orban that he can sell at home and strengthens his position, as the administration actively supports political forces that divide the EU," he said.

Orban -- who has refused to send military aid to Ukraine and opposes Kyiv's EU bid -- has had frequent run-ins with Brussels on rule-of-law and other issues.

R.AbuNasser--SF-PST