Trump administration issues strong warning to PM Orbán over lucrative Russian deal
Following repeated calls from Donald Trump, US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has launched a scathing critique of Hungary and Slovakia for continuing to rely on Russian energy.
According to Graham, most European countries have already reduced their oil and gas purchases from Moscow, so “it’s time” for Budapest and Bratislava to follow suit. The politician, a close ally of Trump, stated on social media that if Hungary and Slovakia do not end their imports of Russian oil, there will be “consequences”.
In recent days, the US President has repeatedly demanded that NATO countries immediately halt their purchase of Russian oil. He believes this is essential in order to apply serious pressure on Russia to end the war.
Trump argues that NATO members must act in unison to pressure Russia, and the key to this is cutting off access to global energy markets. “No excuses,” he previously stated, addressing European allies.
“Russian oil is now practically only bought by Hungary and Slovakia. I hope and expect they will soon take action so we can end this bloodshed. If not, there will be consequences – and there must be,” said Senator Lindsey Graham.
Why do Hungary and Slovakia cling to Russian oil?
Hungary and Slovakia received special exemptions from the European Union when the oil embargo was introduced in 2022. At the time, both countries argued that their energy supply would collapse if they had to shut off the Druzhba oil pipeline abruptly. This has since sparked ongoing controversy, as most EU states have switched to alternative sources, while Budapest and Bratislava continue to defend their concessions.
- While Hungary pushes for peace, we buy more oil from Russia than ever
The Hungarian government argues that MOL’s refineries are primarily designed to process Russian-grade “Urals” crude. Transitioning to other types of oil would be costly and require years of investment; MOL initially estimated that such a conversion would take two to four years and cost $500–700 million. Additionally, the country’s landlocked geography limits its options, as importing via sea would require transit through Croatia, which remains a point of political contention.
Is the Adriatic pipeline the solution? Croatian leader steps in
The Croatian alternative is not a new topic: during the EU oil embargo debates in 2022, it was already suggested that the Adriatic pipeline (JANAF) could cover Hungarian and Slovak needs. At the time, Zagreb indicated its willingness to supply millions of tonnes of oil to its neighbours, to which the Hungarian government responded sceptically. Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó has repeatedly stated that the Adriatic line’s capacity is insufficient and that Croatian transit fees are much higher than the cost of Russian imports.
However, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković has renewed the offer following Trump’s latest remarks.
“Croatia can now guarantee Hungary and Slovakia more than 12 million tonnes of oil, fully meeting the needs of their refineries,” he said, adding that there is no reason to fear shortages and that Zagreb is ready to play a key role in regional energy supply.
Experts say that Hungary and Slovakia are technically capable of transitioning to imports via the Adriatic pipeline, though the real question lies in the level of political will and necessary financial commitment. “The risks are enormous, which is why a transition is needed. If energy security truly is the top priority, then switching to the Adriatic pipeline should be imperative,” oil and gas analyst Tamás Pletser of Erste told Szabad Európa.
Hungary’s position, however, remains unchanged. The government continues to question whether the Adriatic route could replace Russian imports economically in the long term or provide access to other sources. This stance was reinforced in a recent Facebook post by Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
“One can dream of importing oil and gas from where there is no pipeline, but dreams cannot heat homes, warm water or run factories,” he wrote on Facebook.
Szijjártó added that it is unfair for Baltic and northern countries with sea access to lecture Hungary on reducing dependence on Russian energy, noting that Budapest’s landlocked position makes it impossible to rely on LNG terminals or maritime oil shipments. According to the minister, the government’s top priority is to ensure energy supply security, and it is not willing to compromise on that.
Click here for more news related to Russia.
Austria and Czech Republic have made the transition
Hungary’s situation is often compared to that of other countries in the region. Over the past two years, Austria and the Czech Republic have gradually – and then completely – eliminated Russian oil and gas imports. Both countries now rely on maritime terminals, primarily via Germany and Italy. The transition was costly but sent a clear political message to Moscow.
In contrast, Slovakia remains heavily dependent on Russian energy, much like Hungary. The Slovnaft refinery in Bratislava is also optimised for Urals-grade crude, making the switch to alternative sources a significant technological and financial challenge.
The current situation poses a serious dilemma for Hungary. While the government defends its reliance on Russian oil in the name of energy security, international pressure is mounting. The country now faces a tough choice: maintain its cheaper but politically risky dependence on Russia, or bear the cost of a long-term but more secure transition.
Featured image: Wikimedia Commons
To read or share this article in Hungarian, click here: Helló Magyar
go MAGA go! 😀 im not sure if orban saw this coming. Trump does not have any real friend, so no exceptions should be done about the russian oil
Emperor Palpatine Trump and Senator Graham should take care of their own problems at home. Hungary is not a vassal state of The USA. Frankly the US empire and its bullying the rest of the planet hopefully will soon be a thing of the past. America is a dying empire just like, The UK, Rome, Greece, Egypt and numerous others. America will not be missed by the rest of the planet.
The EU should step in and provide some financial assistance to Hungary to convert its’ refineries to usage of non-Russian oil. Once you provide that there is no more excuse and all that is left is Fidesz’ allegiance to Moscow.
I think that more than refinery re-arrangements may play a rôle in Hungary’s obstinacy. I have commented on this in a separate post — I hope that you will take a look at it.
Here is a set of circumstances on which the article does not remark :
Russian oil is cheaper than oil from other sources. Yet petrol in Hungary is not cheaper than petrol in, say, Austria, which does not use Russian oil. Why ? Because the Hungarian refiner, MOL, is substantially owned by the Hungarian state, and the profits from MOL prop up the national budget — “buy low, sell high”. If Hungary had to source her oil more expensively and did not wish to cut services and activities, she would have to find money elsewhere than in MOL profits, as in higher taxation . . . or MOL would have to raise retail prices for petrol and for other products of oil refining, such as diesel fuel. Unpolitical political consequences !
Any capital expenditures at refineries to alter distillation proceedings would be additional.
Apologies — UNPALATABLE political consequences.
Er wordt hier niks gezegd over de prijzen , als expat uit België die mee doet aan de russische boycot weet ik dat dat land nu afhankelijk is van amerikaanse olie, en dat een gemiddeld gezin het zesvoudige moet betalen aan energie kosten + doorboven nog extre belasting voor het tnransport over zee !! Dan zouden de energie prijzen voor de Hongaren onbetaalbaar worden.!!