Hungarian FM announces US possibly to remove sanctions on Hungary
Date
1/28/2025 6:41:56 AM
(MENAFN) Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto announced on Sunday that the United States is reconsidering sanctions imposed on Hungary under the Biden administration. After a phone call with newly appointed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Szijjarto shared that Washington is committed to rebuilding relations with Hungary. Szijjarto posted on facebook that Rubio assured him the new US administration would review the previous sanctions, which Hungary viewed as retaliatory measures. The Hungarian minister expressed optimism, stating that both the US and Hungarian governments share common positions on key issues.
The Biden administration had implemented various sanctions on Hungary, including ending a bilateral tax agreement and tightening entry restrictions for Hungarians, actions Hungary perceived as efforts to force the country to distance itself from Russia and China. In December, the US also sanctioned Antal Rogan, Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s chief of staff, for alleged corruption, which Orban dismissed as "petty revenge." Szijjarto called his conversation with Rubio “extremely good” and expressed hope that the relationship between Hungary and the US would enter a “new golden age.”
This statement comes amid a shift in Hungary's foreign policy, with Orban calling for a review of EU sanctions on Russia. Orban, who has been critical of the EU's approach, recently stated that he would not commit to extending EU sanctions against Russia without discussing the matter with US President Donald Trump. Hungary has also linked its stance on EU sanctions to the resumption of Russian gas transit to the EU through Ukraine, which was halted in January. The EU has imposed multiple rounds of sanctions on Russia since the start of the Ukraine conflict, but these measures require unanimous approval to be extended. Hungary has called for a debate on sanctions at an EU foreign ministers' meeting on Monday.
Poland, another EU member, has warned Hungary of potential consequences for blocking sanctions, with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk accusing Orban of aligning with Moscow. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas defended the sanctions, calling them essential leverage against Russia. Moscow has consistently criticized Western sanctions as ineffective and damaging to those who impose them.
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