US sanctions on oil and gas

They have long been considered close allies: Now, US President Trump has even promised Hungarian Prime Minister Orban that he will be allowed to continue buying oil and gas from Russia – despite the existing sanctions.

The US has indicated its openness to allowing Hungary to continue purchasing gas from sanctioned Russian companies. During a meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán at the White House, US President Donald Trump said the US would consider the matter. Trump explained that because Hungary lacks seaports, it is"very difficult for Orbán to obtain oil and gas from other regions."

The US government imposed new sanctions on Russian energy companies in October, which could also lead to secondary sanctions against buyers such as Hungary. Washington justified this by citing Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin's refusal to end the war against Ukraine.

As recently as Thursday, Republican and Democratic US senators jointly introduced a resolution calling on Hungary to reduce its dependence on Russian energy and to adhere to the EU plan to completely eliminate Russian imports by the end of 2027.

EU: Only two percent Russian oil

Trump accused other EU countries with access to the sea of continuing to import energy from Russia."That bothers me a lot because we help them, and they go and buy oil and gas from Russia," he said. However, according to sources in Brussels, this is not true.

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the EU imposed a near-total ban on Russian oil imports. According to the European Commission, this reduced the EU's share of oil imports from Russia from 29 percent in the first quarter of 2021 to two percent in the second quarter of 2025.

Only Hungary and Slovakia benefit from exemptions within the EU. Both countries continue to receive large quantities of Russian oil via the Druzhba pipeline. Furthermore, Hungary continues to purchase large quantities of natural gas from Russia. Orban justifies this by stating that 90 percent of heating in Hungary is done with gas.

Although a second pipeline via Croatia exists, the Hungarian Prime Minister argues that it can currently only be used as a supplement. He described security of supply as"vital" and warned of the consequences for the economy and households should Russian oil supplies cease in the short term.

Trump praises Orban as a"great leader"

At the meeting, Trump praised the right-wing nationalist from Budapest as a"great leader." He demanded that other European countries "respect Hungary more," because Orban had been "right about immigration." The Hungarian prime minister emphasized that migration to his country was "zero."

Orban sees himself as the US president's closest ally in the EU. He is also close to Russian President Putin. For this reason, Trump said he would also discuss his efforts to achieve a ceasefire in the war against Ukraine with Orban:"He understands Putin and knows him very well." The US president had recently announced a meeting with Putin in the Hungarian capital, Budapest, but then canceled it at short notice due to low prospects for success.

However, Trump is still insisting on Budapest, the Hungarian capital, as the location for a potential meeting with Putin about ending the war against Ukraine."If it (the meeting) takes place, I would like to hold it in Budapest," the Republican said. He did not give a specific reason why he chose that particular city. Whether a meeting will actually take place in which Trump and Putin discuss the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and possible solutions remains entirely unclear.

Orban traveled to the meeting in Washington with a large delegation of ministers, business leaders, and political allies. Many EU partners view Hungary's stance as a weakening of the united front against Moscow and accuse Budapest of having made little effort to develop alternative oil sources. Orban has repeatedly threatened to veto EU sanctions packages. For Orban, Trump's support is therefore also symbolically important, as the opposition is considered to have a good chance in the Hungarian parliamentary elections coming up in a few months.