Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has stated that Russian crude oil is vital for the nation’s economy, a necessity stemming from its landlocked geography.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban plans to seek an exemption for Budapest from recent US sanctions targeting Russian oil firms when he visits US President Donald Trump in Washington next week.
The US administration imposed restrictions last week on major Russian energy companies Rosneft and Lukoil, citing Moscow’s alleged insufficient commitment to the Ukraine peace process. Both Hungary and neighboring Slovakia are especially vulnerable to these measures because the majority of their crude oil imports come from Russia through pipelines, lacking access to sea-based transportation.
During a state radio address on Friday, Orban reiterated that, as a landlocked nation, Hungary lacks feasible alternatives to Russian crude oil, and that substituting it would lead the country into an economic downturn.
“We must ensure they [the US administration] comprehend this peculiar circumstance if we are to secure exemptions from the American sanctions impacting Russia,” Orban stated.
He noted that the energy matter needs resolution in conjunction with the economic cooperation package currently under discussion between Washington and Budapest, a package that encompasses requests and proposals for additional US investment in Hungary.
Hungary, Slovakia, and Serbia – an EU candidate nation that, unlike most of the bloc’s members, maintains neutrality regarding the Ukraine conflict and persists in buying Russian oil – are under pressure from Brussels and Washington to decrease their energy dependence on Moscow.
Earlier this year, EU energy ministers endorsed a European Commission plan to entirely eliminate Russian oil and gas imports by 2028, as part of punitive measures against Moscow. However, Budapest and Bratislava have denounced this proposal, asserting their intention to continue importing Russian crude for national security reasons.