Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban showered U.S. President Donald Trump with praise during his White House visit on Friday in an effort to secure an exemption to threatened U.S. sanctions. Although Orban is one of Trump’s fiercest allies on the world stage, their friendship has become strained in recent months over Budapest’s continued purchases of Russian oil.

Last month, Trump announced sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies to try to cut off the Kremlin’s main source of funding for its war effort. Those will take effect on Nov. 21. But Washington’s penalties don’t end there. Trump also threatened to impose secondary sanctions against countries that continue to purchase Russian oil—namely, China, India, and Hungary.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban showered U.S. President Donald Trump with praise during his White House visit on Friday in an effort to secure an exemption to threatened U.S. sanctions. Although Orban is one of Trump’s fiercest allies on the world stage, their friendship has become strained in recent months over Budapest’s continued purchases of Russian oil.

Last month, Trump announced sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies to try to cut off the Kremlin’s main source of funding for its war effort. Those will take effect on Nov. 21. But Washington’s penalties don’t end there. Trump also threatened to impose secondary sanctions against countries that continue to purchase Russian oil—namely, China, India, and Hungary.

Budapest is the biggest buyer of Russian crude in the European Union. And while other EU countries are working to wean themselves off Russian energy, Hungary has gone the other direction. Since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Hungary’s reliance on Russian oil jumped from 61 percent pre-invasion to 86 percent in 2024.

Orban has repeatedly denounced penalties on countries that buy Russian oil, accusing them of hurting Hungary’s economy at a time when the prime minister is facing one of his toughest reelection bids in his career. Notably, Orban has also been one of the friendliest European leaders toward Moscow’s ambitions. Like Trump, he has previously suggested that Ukraine cede territory to Russia to end the war.

Hungary already has an exemption from European Union sanctions on Russian crude. But to get one from the United States, experts suggest that Orban may need to offer concessions, such as dropping his opposition to NATO sending military aid to Ukraine and his stance against allowing Kyiv to join the EU.

Read more in today’s World Brief: Orban Seeks Exemption From U.S. Penalties on Russian Oil Imports.

This post is part of FP’s ongoing coverage of the Trump administration. Follow along here.