Orbán: Trump made a mistake with sanctions, I’ll visit him soon

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has said he plans to travel to Washington in the coming days to meet US President Donald Trump, where he intends to discuss energy cooperation and urge the American leader to reconsider the latest sanctions on Russian oil companies.

Speaking to reporters from La Repubblica on the streets of Rome after his audience with Pope Leo XIV, Orbán described the sanctions as “a mistake from the Hungarian point of view” and said he would “try to find a way out, especially for Hungary.”

“President Trump made a mistake with these sanctions. I will speak to him personally about how we can correct it,” Orbán told Italian journalists.

Hungary’s dependence on Russian energy

The prime minister emphasised that Hungary remains heavily dependent on Russian oil and gas, noting that without these supplies, energy prices would skyrocket and shortages could emerge.

Orbán argued that the sanctions against Russia’s major energy companies, Rosneft and Lukoil, could have severe consequences for European economies. “Without Russian energy, Europe will face not only higher prices but also instability,” he said.

Since the outbreak of the war, Hungary has not sought to reduce its dependence on Russian energy; instead, it has actually increased it — a stance that has drawn heavy criticism from the United States and the European Union.

Trump’s sanctions and shifting US strategy

The remarks came after Donald Trump’s administration imposed the first major sanctions package of his presidency against Moscow, targeting the two biggest Russian oil exporters.

The move followed weeks of speculation and came shortly after Trump cancelled his planned meeting with Vladimir Putin in Budapest, citing “a lack of progress on peace negotiations.”

During a joint press conference with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte last week, Trump said he introduced the measures because “it felt like the right time.”

According to US analysts, the sanctions could reduce Russia’s oil exports by nearly half and represent a sharp escalation in Washington’s policy towards Moscow.

As we wrote today, Washington turns up the heat, Hungary under fire for Russian energy reliance

From the Vatican to Washington

Orbán spoke to Italian media while en route from the Vatican, where he held a nearly hour-long private meeting with Pope Leo XIV.

He said he would next meet Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to discuss Europe’s economic competitiveness, before flying to the United States for talks with Trump.

According to Orbán, the Washington meeting will focus on building a sustainable energy system capable of serving Hungary’s long-term economic interests.

“We need to ensure Hungary’s access to affordable, stable energy,” he said. “That is why dialogue with the United States is essential.”

Europe’s diminishing influence on the war

Orbán added that, when it comes to the war in Ukraine, Europe now has little direct role left.

“We outsourced the issue to the Americans and the Russians,” he said. “Unfortunately, Europe has fallen out of the picture; we no longer have a seat at the table in shaping Ukraine–Russia relations or security.”

He said his upcoming meeting with Meloni would instead focus on Europe’s declining economic competitiveness, particularly under the EU’s green transition and emissions directive (RTS2), which he argued could drive up energy and housing costs across the continent.

“Our task is to make both the Italian and Hungarian economies more competitive,” Orbán said, declining to comment on other political issues raised by Italian journalists.

Background: Sanctions and cancelled diplomacy

The Trump administration’s sanctions came just a week after the US president announced plans for a Budapest summit with Putin, claiming the Russian leader was “ready for peace.”

However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov later made clear that Moscow rejected Trump’s proposed ceasefire, calling it inconsistent with agreements reached between the two leaders in Alaska in August.

The cancelled meeting underscored growing tensions within the new geopolitical landscape, in which Hungary remains one of the few EU countries maintaining active dialogue with both Washington and Moscow.

Our latest article today: Hungary faces sharp fuel price increases – here are the reasons why