RT reported that Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said that Hungary's request to exempt Hungary's gas payments to Russia from US sanctions has been approved.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Mr. Szijjarto emphasized that this decision is to ensure the security of gas supplies for Hungary, and criticized the previous US administration for "intentionally creating difficulties in supplying natural gas to countries in the region" through energy sanctions.
Earlier this month, despite the expiration of General License No. 8, the Trump administration still decided to extend the transition period to 60 days to allow 12 major Russian financial institutions time to adapt before further being restricted to the US payment system.
Secretary of State Szijjarto also praised US President Donald Trump's "reasonable" approach to Hungary, welcoming the Trump administration's " communal" path and "accepting the important role of infrastructure" in ensuring energy supply.
The US Treasury Department has previously imposed sanctions on more than 50 Russian financial institutions, including Gazprombank - the last Russian bank to be connected to the interbank paging system SWIFT, and six international branches of the bank.
That has led to a delay in Hungary's gas payments for months.
In January 2025, the administration of US President Joe Biden coordinated with the UK to impose a large-scale sanctions on Russia. The measures target two major oil producers, Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegaz, and 180 vessels believed to transport Russian oil in violation of Western restrictions.
Moscow has repeatedly condemned the Western move, calling the sanctions illegal.
Senior officials, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, have affirmed that these measures cannot lead to economic instability and isolation from the global financial system. The Kremlin believes that Europe's sanctions on Russia are just counterproductive.
