US lifts sanctions on Hungarian PM Orban's chief of staff

The United States has lifted sanctions it imposed in January against Antal Rogan, the chief of staff of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

The sanctions were imposed on charges of corruption and cronyism.

In a notice published on April 15 on the US Treasury Department's website, it was stated that Rogan had been removed from the sanctions list.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto on Tuesday and informed him of the decision, State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said.

Rubio told Szijjarto that Rogan has been removed from the Treasury Department's sanctions list, Bruce said in a statement, adding that continuing to keep him on the sanctions list is not consistent with U.S. foreign policy interests.

The two top diplomats also discussed strengthening U.S.-Hungarian alignment on critical issues and opportunities for economic cooperation, Bruce said.

Orban and his Fidesz party have been among the most vocal supporters in Europe of US President Donald Trump.

Earlier this year, Washington announced sanctions on Rogan on January 7 over suspicions that he was involved in corruption, saying he "used his role to enrich himself and his party loyalists."

The then US ambassador to Hungary, David Pressman, had stated that "systemic corruption is influencing Hungary's decision-making on issues that impact the security of the US and our allies."

Pressman left the ambassador's post before Trump took office as president on January 20.

Orban's government, which has called the sanctions against Rogan "the ambassador's personal revenge," welcomed Washington's new announcement of the lifting of sanctions, saying it is a "clear sign that things have changed in Washington."

Hungarian government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs wrote in X that the decision "confirms the change in American policy with Trump's return, undoing decisions that Hungary sees as unjust decisions taken in retaliation."/ REL