BUDAPEST (Reuters) -Hungary said on Saturday it had obtained an indefinite waiver from U.S. sanctions to use Russian oil and gas, but a White House official reaffirmed that the exemption was for one year only.

Last month, U.S. President Donald Trump imposed Ukraine-related sanctions on Russian oil companies Lukoil and Rosneft that carried a threat of further sanctions against entities that buy oil from those firms.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a longtime Trump ally, met with Trump at the White House on Friday to press for a reprieve. Hungary relies heavily on Russian energy and Orban, 15 years in power, faces a close election next year.

“The prime minister was clear. He has agreed with the U.S. President that we have obtained an indefinite exemption from the sanctions,” Hungar

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