The US has assured Hungary that it will reconsider the sanctions imposed by the previous administration under President Joe Biden. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto made the statement on Sunday, following a phone call with the newly appointed US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio. According to Szijjarto, Washington is committed to rebuilding the relationship with Budapest.
In a Facebook post, Szijjarto wrote that his new counterpart had assured him that the Hungarian-American political system would be rebuilt and that the previous measures, taken in a spirit of revenge, would be reviewed by the new US administration. He also mentioned that the two sides had expressed their joy over the fact that the new US president and his government, as well as the Hungarian government, share the same position on several important issues.
The Biden administration had imposed various restrictions on Hungary, including the revocation of a bilateral tax agreement and the tightening of entry rules for Hungarian citizens. Budapest interpreted these measures as an attempt to put pressure on the country to weaken its relations with Russia and China. In December, the US imposed sanctions on Antal Rogan, the chief of staff of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, due to alleged corruption. Orban characterized the sanctions as “petty revenge”.
Szijjarto described his conversation with Rubio as “extremely good”and added, “I expect the coming years to bring a new golden age in Hungarian-American political relations.”
This announcement comes as part of a broader shift in Hungary’s foreign policy under Orban, who has called for a re-evaluation of the EU sanctions against Russia. Last week, Orban said in a radio interview that he would only support the extension of the sanctions against Moscow after discussing the issue with US President Donald Trump. Orban has called for a reversal of the EU and US policies, urging state and government leaders to “throw the sanctions out the window”and build “sanction-free relations with Russia”.
Orban has linked Hungary’s stance on the EU sanctions to the resumption of Russian gas transit through Ukraine to the EU, which was halted on January 1 after Kyiv decided not to extend the contract with Russian gas company Gazprom. Hungarian diplomats have raised the issue at EU talks, emphasizing that energy security should also be taken into account, in addition to the sanctions policy.
The EU has imposed 15 rounds of sanctions on Russia since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022, aimed at limiting Moscow’s financial capabilities for its military operations. However, these measures must be unanimously agreed upon and renewed every six months, with the current deadline set for January 31. Hungary has called for a debate on the sanctions during the meeting of EU foreign ministers on Monday.
Poland, another EU member, has warned Hungary of potential consequences if it resists the sanctions. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk accused Orban of aligning with Moscow. EU Foreign Affairs Commissioner Kaja Kallas also defended the sanctions as “pressure tools”of the EU against Russia.
Moscow has repeatedly described the Western sanctions as unjust and counterproductive, warning that they will inevitably backfire on those who impose them.