U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday urged European Union leaders to show greater respect for Hungary’s right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has defied Brussels over migration policies, as he considered the country's request to be exempt from Russian energy sanctions.
"I think they should respect Hungary and respect this leader very, very strongly because he's been right on immigration," Trump told reporters as he met Orban at the White House.
Trump, who has carried out a sweeping crackdown on immigration at home, again alleged a link between migrants and crime, which is not backed up by statistics in the United States.
"Look what's happened to Europe with the immigration. They have people flooding Europe," Trump said.
Putting the issue of immigration to Europe in more starkly racial terms, Trump said, "You go to some of the countries, they're unrecognizable now because of what they've done. And Hungary is very recognizable."
Orban defended his opposition to migration and lashed out at financial penalties imposed by the European Union on Hungary for defying the bloc.
"This is the absurd world we are living in now in Europe," Orban said.
"We are the only government in Europe which considers itself as a Christian government. All the other governments in Europe are basically liberal leftist governments," Orban said.
Meanwhile, Trump told Orban that he would consider exempting the ally from sanctions on Russian oil purchases.
"We are looking at it because it is very difficult for him to get the oil and gas from other areas. As you know, they don't have the advantage of having sea," Trump told reporters.
Orban, who has often bucked the rest of the European Union on pressuring Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, said that Russian energy was vital for his country.
Orban said he would explain to Trump "what would be the consequences for the Hungarian people and for the Hungarian economy not to get oil and gas from Russia."
"Because we are supplied by pipelines. Pipeline is not an ideological or political issue. It's a physical reality because we don't have port(s)," Orban said.
