(WASHINGTON) President Donald Trump welcomed Hungary’s autocratic leader Viktor Orban to the White House on Friday, praising him repeatedly as a “great leader” as met sat to discuss trade and Russia’s war in Ukraine.

“I like and respect him,” Trump said as he and Orban sat for lunch with their teams in the Cabinet Room, specifically applauding Orban’s views on immigration and crime.

Orban in turn celebrated what he said will be a “golden age between the United States and Hungary” with Trump’s return to office.

Orban is in Washington seeking an exemption to new U.S. sanctions targeting Russia’s largest oil companies and their subsidiaries that will go into effect later this month.

President Trump was asked if he would grant Hungary’s request.

“We’re looking at it because it’s very diff

See Full Page