US might remove sanctions on Hungary, says FM
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has stated that the US will review the sanctions imposed on Budapest during the Biden administration. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
The Trump administration has reportedly committed to rebuilding relationships with Budapest and lifting restrictions that were put in place during Joe Biden’s presidency.
On Sunday, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto announced that the US plans to reassess the sanctions imposed on Hungary during Biden's term. Following a phone call with newly appointed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Szijjarto expressed optimism about strengthening ties between the two nations.
“My new foreign minister colleague assured us that we will rebuild the Hungarian-American political system, and he also means that the previous measures taken out of revenge will be reviewed by the new US administration,” Szijjarto wrote on Facebook.
“We mutually expressed our joy that the new US president and his administration, as well as the Hungarian government, share the same position on very important issues,” he added.
The Biden administration took multiple actions against Hungary, which included ending a bilateral tax agreement and implementing stricter entry requirements for Hungarians. Budapest perceived these measures as attempts to pressure it to reduce ties with Russia and China. Most recently, in December, the US sanctioned Antal Rogan, chief of staff for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, over allegations of corruption. Orban characterized the sanctions as “petty revenge.”
Szijjarto described his dialogue with Rubio as “extremely good,” expressing his belief that “the coming years will bring a new golden age in Hungarian-American political relations.”
This statement aligns with a broader shift in Hungary’s foreign policy under Orban, who has advocated for a reevaluation of EU sanctions against Russia. Last week, Orban stated on Kossuth Radio that he would not agree to extend sanctions against Moscow without consulting US President Donald Trump. He has urged leaders to “throw sanctions out the window” and establish “sanction-free relationships with Russia.”
Orban has also connected Hungary’s position on EU sanctions to the resumption of Russian gas transit to the EU via Ukraine. Deliveries were suspended on January 1 after Kyiv opted not to renew a contract with Russian gas company Gazprom. Hungarian diplomats have raised this issue in EU discussions, stressing the importance of addressing energy security alongside sanctions.
The EU has enacted 15 rounds of sanctions on Russia since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022, aimed at curtailing Moscow’s military financing. However, the extension of these measures requires unanimous consent every six months, with the next deadline approaching on January 31. Hungary has called for a discussion on sanctions in the upcoming meeting of EU foreign affairs ministers.
Fellow EU member Poland has warned Hungary of potential repercussions for opposing sanctions, with Prime Minister Donald Tusk accusing Orban of alignment with Moscow. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has defended the sanctions as the bloc’s “leverage” against Russia.
Moscow has consistently condemned Western sanctions, labeling them as illegitimate and counterproductive, and has warned that they would ultimately backfire on those who enact them.
Jessica Kline contributed to this report for TROIB News
On Sunday, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto announced that the US plans to reassess the sanctions imposed on Hungary during Biden's term. Following a phone call with newly appointed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Szijjarto expressed optimism about strengthening ties between the two nations.
“My new foreign minister colleague assured us that we will rebuild the Hungarian-American political system, and he also means that the previous measures taken out of revenge will be reviewed by the new US administration,” Szijjarto wrote on Facebook.
“We mutually expressed our joy that the new US president and his administration, as well as the Hungarian government, share the same position on very important issues,” he added.
The Biden administration took multiple actions against Hungary, which included ending a bilateral tax agreement and implementing stricter entry requirements for Hungarians. Budapest perceived these measures as attempts to pressure it to reduce ties with Russia and China. Most recently, in December, the US sanctioned Antal Rogan, chief of staff for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, over allegations of corruption. Orban characterized the sanctions as “petty revenge.”
Szijjarto described his dialogue with Rubio as “extremely good,” expressing his belief that “the coming years will bring a new golden age in Hungarian-American political relations.”
This statement aligns with a broader shift in Hungary’s foreign policy under Orban, who has advocated for a reevaluation of EU sanctions against Russia. Last week, Orban stated on Kossuth Radio that he would not agree to extend sanctions against Moscow without consulting US President Donald Trump. He has urged leaders to “throw sanctions out the window” and establish “sanction-free relationships with Russia.”
Orban has also connected Hungary’s position on EU sanctions to the resumption of Russian gas transit to the EU via Ukraine. Deliveries were suspended on January 1 after Kyiv opted not to renew a contract with Russian gas company Gazprom. Hungarian diplomats have raised this issue in EU discussions, stressing the importance of addressing energy security alongside sanctions.
The EU has enacted 15 rounds of sanctions on Russia since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022, aimed at curtailing Moscow’s military financing. However, the extension of these measures requires unanimous consent every six months, with the next deadline approaching on January 31. Hungary has called for a discussion on sanctions in the upcoming meeting of EU foreign affairs ministers.
Fellow EU member Poland has warned Hungary of potential repercussions for opposing sanctions, with Prime Minister Donald Tusk accusing Orban of alignment with Moscow. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has defended the sanctions as the bloc’s “leverage” against Russia.
Moscow has consistently condemned Western sanctions, labeling them as illegitimate and counterproductive, and has warned that they would ultimately backfire on those who enact them.
Jessica Kline contributed to this report for TROIB News
