Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday he would ask U.S. President Donald Trump to exempt Hungary from Washington’s new sanctions on Russian oil, arguing that his landlocked country depends almost entirely on pipeline routes from Russia for energy supplies.
Speaking ahead of a planned meeting with Trump on November 7, Orban said he wanted to make Washington “understand Hungary’s peculiar situation” and the need for flexibility. “We are dependent on those transport routes through which energy can reach Hungary. These are mostly pipelines,” he told reporters in Budapest.
Why It Matters
Hungary’s appeal highlights a deepening divide in the Western alliance over the enforcement of energy sanctions on Moscow. While most EU and NATO members have reduced or diversified away from Russian oil, Budapest remains heavily reliant on the Druzhba pipeline, which carries crude from Russia.
An exemption would test Washington’s resolve to sustain pressure on Russia’s oil sector while potentially signaling that energy security concerns can override sanctions unity. Analysts warn it could also embolden other European states to seek similar carve-outs.
Viktor Orban: Seeking to protect Hungary’s energy supply and avoid domestic fuel shortages after a refinery fire crippled production at the Danube facility run by MOL Group.
Donald Trump: Faces a balancing act between sanction enforcement and maintaining good ties with Orban, a long-time political ally.
Rosneft & Lukoil: Russia’s energy giants targeted by U.S. sanctions but still supplying oil to parts of Europe through legacy contracts.
European Union: Struggling to maintain a united front on Russia amid growing member-state pressure for exceptions.
What’s Next
Orban’s Washington visit will mark his first bilateral meeting with Trump since the latter’s return to the White House. Budapest hopes the talks will yield a temporary waiver or an arrangement similar to Germany’s exemption for Rosneft’s Schwedt refinery, which remains operational under non-Russian management.
Meanwhile, Hungary is drafting new legislation to allow “standby filling stations” to operate in emergencies, underscoring fears of potential supply disruption. Washington has not commented publicly on whether any flexibility will be granted.
with information from Reuters.
