Trump is Trying to Convince Orbán: Rutte

Political tension between Washington and Budapest is escalating over Russian energy carriers. While the US demands an end to the financing of Russia, Hungary insists it has no alternative. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated in an interview with CNN that US President Donald Trump is making personal efforts to convince Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to stop purchasing Russian oil. According to Rutte, he fully agrees with Trump's position that European allies should completely abandon importing energy from the aggressor state. Currently, only Hungary and Slovakia among European Union members continue to buy Russian oil.

"I know that the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, is working in this direction. I am also aware that President Trump is personally dealing with this issue, including through direct negotiations with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán," Rutte noted.

This statement followed a tense phone call on September 4 between Trump and European leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. According to media reports, Trump accused EU countries of financing the Russian war machine. In response, he was informed that only Hungary and Slovakia import Russian oil, from which, according to the White House, Russia has received revenues of 1.1 billion euros in one year.

Interestingly, after the interview with Rutte, Trump, in a conversation with journalists in the Oval Office, somewhat softened his position, noting that Hungary "cannot really" buy oil from other sellers because it has no access to the sea. This argument fully coincides with the public statements of Hungarian officials.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó has repeatedly emphasized that Budapest cannot refuse Russian raw materials due to the lack of alternatives. He has also insisted that while they openly buy Russian oil, "other European countries" do it secretly and through "roundabout ways" because "it is cheaper."

The situation received additional tension after a statement by US Senator Lindsey Graham, who threatened Hungary and Slovakia with "consequences" if they continue to buy Russian oil. At this point, we can state that despite Trump's personal intervention, Hungary remains steadfast in its position, guided by its own energy security considerations.