Orbán to explain Hungary's Russian oil dependence to Trump

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has said he intends to explain why Hungary is dependent on Russian energy supplies when he meets with US President Donald Trump.

As reported by Hungarian news portal Telex, Orbán said that Hungary relies on land routes for its energy supplies, as it is a landlocked country.

"And if we do not adapt to this situation, we will have no energy," he said.

Orbán believes it is necessary to make this clear to the Americans if Hungary hopes to secure an exemption from US sanctions imposed on Russian energy giants Rosneft and Lukoil.

"Every state has the right to be protected at national level from such a system of sanctions," he added.

The Hungarian prime minister previously claimed that energy prices in Hungary would "skyrocket" without Russian energy supplies and said "we are trying to find a way out, especially for Hungary".

Trump expects Europe to completely stop buying Russian oil and gas. He recently imposed sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil.

Orbán then said his government was working on ways to circumvent the sanctions.

The Hungarian government is trying to persuade the US administration that its status as a landlocked country means it has no alternative but to depend on Russian oil. Hungarian officials claim they cannot resolve this issue, despite the existence of an alternative oil pipeline linking Hungary to the Adriatic Sea via Croatia – a fact repeatedly noted in European capitals.