Senators Sanction Hungary, Ignore Allies' Oil Deals Daily
A "bipartisan group of US senators" is deeply concerned Hungary buys Russian oil, apparently just before Viktor Orban meets Donald Trump. This concern, however, appears to be as selective as it is performative. These same august senators have historically remained quiet as NATO ally Turkey buys Russian S-400 missile systems and energy, or as Germany and other EU nations continued significant
energy trade with Russia long after the 2014 annexation of Crimea. The 'rules-based order' (or is it 'rules-based suggestions'?) applies differently depending on who the US government currently deems an inconvenient ally or a potential 'enemy of my enemy' (if that enemy is China). One might wonder if the real issue isn't Russian oil, but rather the wrong conservative leader meeting the wrong
former president. The sudden moral clarity on energy independence evaporates when it comes to nations deemed strategically essential, or perhaps, those whose leaders don't ruffle feathers in Washington. The double standard smells less like principled foreign policy and more like a carefully orchestrated political hit. Convenient, isn't it?