President Donald Trump speaks during a lunch meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán at the White House on the 7th (local time). Yonhap News. 

U.S. President Donald Trump, who has been urging European countries to halt imports of Russian crude oil, announced on the 7th (local time) that he is considering an exemption for Hungary.

In response to reporters' questions during a lunch meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán at the White House that day, President Trump said, "It would be difficult for him (the Hungarian Prime Minister) to secure crude oil and gas from other regions (besides Russia)," adding, "We are looking into it (applying an exemption)."

President Trump has been pressuring Russia to end the war in Ukraine, while also urging Europe and others to stop purchasing Russian crude oil, arguing that it serves as a funding source for Russia's war effort. He also imposed high tariffs on India for purchasing Russian crude oil.

The fact that President Trump mentioned considering an exemption for Hungary appears to be an effort to bolster Prime Minister Orbán, who is often referred to as the 'Trump of Eastern Europe'.

Hungary, though a member of NATO and the EU, is highly dependent on Russian crude oil and gas for its energy needs. The volume supplied to Hungary from Russia via the Druzhba pipeline accounts for 64% of its total crude oil demand.

President Trump stated, "Hungary has a difficult problem because it has no sea and no ports," adding, "Hungary is in a different situation (than other European countries)."

He continued, "Most European countries do not have such problems. They buy a lot of oil and crude oil from Russia," and added, "I am very uncomfortable with that."

President Trump also praised Prime Minister Orbán, who is seeking re-election ahead of the general election next April, calling him a "great leader" and saying, "I will support him."

He particularly lauded Prime Minister Orbán's stringent immigration control policies, stating, "Europe has made a tremendous mistake on immigration, but he has not made a mistake on immigration."

Regarding the canceled summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which President Trump had previously announced, he commented, "They just don't want to end (the war) yet."

President Trump holds a lunch meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán (left) at the White House on the 7th (local time). Yonhap News. 

On the matter of reducing U.S. troops stationed in Romania, President Trump stated, "The total number remains the same, but we are repositioning people here and there." He added, "I like the Romanian people and think they are wonderful people."

Acting Secretary of Defense Pete Hegses, who was also present, explained, "Troops will continue to remain in Romania. However, there will be some changes in how they are rotated and their exact numbers."

Earlier, on the 29th of last month, the Romanian Ministry of National Defense announced that they "were notified of the U.S. decision to reduce its forces in Europe," according to Reuters and other media outlets. This marks the first time a NATO member state in Europe has officially acknowledged the U.S. reduction of forces in the region.

President Trump reiterated his rebuttal to the Democratic Party's attacks regarding "high inflation."

He said, "The Democratic Party is good at a few things: rigging elections and deceiving people," emphasizing, "The Biden administration has recorded the highest inflation in 48 years, and we are much better than under the Biden administration."

President Trump also repeatedly urged the Republican Party to force an end to the Democratic Party's filibuster to prevent a federal government shutdown. He criticized the Republican Party's hesitation to abolish the filibuster as a "big mistake."

Yonhap News