Hungary is lobbying the United States for a temporary exemption from new
measures targeting buyers of Russian crude. A U.S. congressional bill passed
last week gives the president authority to impose tariffs on purchasers of
Russian petroleum products; President Trump signed it into law last Friday.
Hungary’s government, led by Magyar, says it will diversify energy sources and
reduce reliance on Russian gas but remains highly dependent on Moscow for
energy. Marton Hajdu, chair of the ruling party’s parliamentary foreign affairs
committee, told lawmakers on Capitol Hill he has asked the U.S. to grant an
exemption for Russian energy purchases during a transition period.
