A bipartisan group of US senators is urging Hungary to stop buying Russian energy ahead of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington on Friday, UNN reports with reference to Bloomberg.
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US lawmakers expressed concern that Hungary has shown "no signs of reducing its reliance on Russian fossil fuels" and called on Orbán and other consumers of Russian energy to join the European Union's June proposal to end imports by 2027, according to a copy of the resolution.
The resolution was signed by 10 senators, including Republicans and Democrats.
The Hungarian leader, long admired by American conservatives, is expected to try to use his friendly relationship with Trump to continue buying Russian oil, even as other European countries seek to cut purchases since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
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"Vladimir Putin is a war criminal who uses Russian energy exports to finance his campaign of murder and aggression," said signatory Republican Senator Thom Tillis. "This resolution sends a clear message that we will not allow energy dependence to be weaponized by a brutal dictator."
"Europe has made outstanding progress in breaking energy ties with Moscow, but Hungary's actions continue to undermine collective security and embolden the Kremlin," said signatory Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen.
In October, the US Treasury Department blacklisted Russia's largest oil companies, PJSC Rosneft and PJSC Lukoil, after Trump's attempts to persuade Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin to agree to a ceasefire failed.
Republicans in Congress have largely stood aside and allowed the White House to set policy on Russian oil and gas. A bipartisan bill, co-authored by Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, on sanctions against countries that buy Russian energy, received overwhelming support from both parties in the House of Representatives, although it remains stalled until Trump agrees to its passage.