Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced Friday that his country will be exempt from U.S. sanctions on Russian energy following talks with President Donald Trump at the White House — a move that will allow Hungary to keep importing Russian oil and gas and highlights the close ties between the two leaders.
Orbán, one of Trump’s staunchest allies in Europe, visited Washington seeking approval for Hungary to continue buying Russian fossil fuels despite sanctions imposed by the Trump administration. According to a White House official who spoke anonymously, Hungary will receive a one-year waiver.
The European Union has been pressuring Hungary to end its reliance on Russian energy, as most EU nations have sharply reduced or stopped such imports since the start of the war in Ukraine.
Orbán has consistently defended Hungary’s energy ties with Moscow, calling access to Russian oil and gas “vital” for his landlocked country. Speaking to Hungarian journalists after his White House meeting, Orbán said Hungary had been granted a “full exemption” from sanctions affecting Russian gas delivered through the TurkStream pipeline and oil supplied via the Druzhba pipeline.
“We asked the president to lift the sanctions,” Orbán said. “He agreed — the sanctions will not apply to these two pipelines.”
As part of the agreement, Hungary will also buy U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG), with contracts estimated at around $600 million, according to the U.S. State Department. The two countries further committed to cooperation in nuclear energy, including the development of small modular reactors.
Orbán added that Hungary will begin purchasing nuclear fuel from Westinghouse Electric Company, marking a shift away from exclusive reliance on Russian suppliers for its Paks nuclear power plant. However, Hungarian officials clarified that Budapest will continue buying some Russian nuclear fuel alongside the new U.S. supply.
Orbán traveled to Washington with a large entourage of cabinet ministers, business executives, and right-wing political influencers close to his government. The delegation chartered a 220-seat Wizz Air jet for the trip.
Before Orbán’s visit, a bipartisan group of ten U.S. senators introduced a resolution urging Hungary to reduce its dependence on Russian energy. The resolution, co-sponsored by Republicans Mitch McConnell, Thom Tillis, and Chuck Grassley, and Democrats Jeanne Shaheen and Chris Coons, criticized Budapest for “showing no sign of reducing its dependence on Russian fossil fuels” and encouraged compliance with the EU’s plan to end all Russian energy imports by 2027.
“Europe has made significant strides in cutting energy ties with Moscow,” Senator Shaheen said in a statement. “Hungary’s continued reliance undermines collective security and emboldens the Kremlin. Our message is simple: all allies must be held to the same standard.”
While in Washington, Orbán and members of his team also met with Eduardo Bolsonaro, son of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who was recently sentenced to 27 years in prison for plotting a coup following his election loss. On social media, Orbán voiced solidarity with the Bolsonaro family, writing: “We stand firmly with the Bolsonaros in these challenging times. Political witch-hunts have no place in democracy — truth and justice must prevail.”