Hungary is lobbying Washington for temporary relief from new Russian energy sanctions as the country continues to buy Russian crude while attempting to diversify its oil and gas supplies. The move follows new US legislation giving President Donald Trump powers to impose tariffs of up to 100% on countries purchasing Russian energy.

According to Bloomberg, Hungary is seeking to avoid penalties during the period in which the government says it is reducing the country’s dependence on Russian energy.

The issue was raised in Washington by Márton Hajdu, chairman of the Hungarian parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee and a politician from the governing Tisza party.

Following meetings with Republican and Democratic lawmakers on Capitol Hill, Hajdu said he had asked for support so that Hungary could receive an exemption during the transition away from Russian energy purchases.

The talks do not, at this stage, amount to an announced bilateral exemption agreement between the Hungarian and US governments. Rather, they represent political lobbying aimed at securing favourable treatment as the new American rules begin to take effect.

New Russian energy sanctions raise stakes for Hungary

US President Donald Trump signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 into law on Friday, 18 September.

The legislation expands sanctions targeting Russia’s energy and defence sectors and its so-called shadow fleet of tankers used to circumvent restrictions. It also gives the US president authority to impose tariffs of up to 100% on goods from countries that continue to purchase Russian crude oil or natural gas.

The House of Representatives passed the legislation by 262 votes to 159 on 16 September after the Senate approved it in August, Reuters reported.

The measures are designed to increase economic pressure on Moscow by targeting not only Russian entities but also major foreign buyers of Russian oil and gas.

For Hungary, however, the timing is particularly sensitive. Budapest remains reliant on Russian supplies even as Prime Minister Péter Magyar’s government has pledged to change the energy policy pursued under former prime minister Viktor Orbán.

If you missed it: Péter Magyar would break away from Russian oil, but expects something in return from Brussels

Hungary says it is reducing Russian energy dependence

The Magyar government has repeatedly said that diversification cannot happen overnight without risking security of supply or increasing costs.

Economy and Energy Minister István Kapitány said last week that Hungary should be capable of meeting its gas needs without Russian imports by October 2027 if current plans proceed as expected.

He said Hungary has physical connections allowing gas to arrive from several directions, while the government is looking at alternatives including supplies from Romania’s Neptun Deep gas field and liquefied natural gas contracts.

On oil, the government is also examining how greater use of the Adriatic pipeline through Croatia could reduce reliance on the Druzhba pipeline, which has traditionally carried Russian crude to Hungary. Kapitány said talks had begun with Croatian partners over using the Adriatic route at full capacity.

The government’s position is therefore that Hungary should not face US penalties while it is actively restructuring its energy supply.

Washington decision could test Hungary-US relations

The request also comes at an important moment for relations between Budapest and Washington.

Bloomberg described the issue as an early test for bilateral ties following the change of government in Hungary earlier this year. The Magyar administration has signalled a different approach towards Russia while simultaneously trying to avoid disruption to the country’s energy market.

Whether Hungary ultimately receives an exemption from the Russian energy sanctions will depend on how Washington applies the new legislation.

The law provides the US administration with significant leverage over countries buying Russian energy, but the existence of tariff powers does not mean that the maximum penalties will automatically be imposed.

For Budapest, the immediate objective is therefore to convince US decision-makers that Hungary’s continued purchases should be treated as a temporary consequence of its existing infrastructure rather than a rejection of efforts to reduce dependence on Russian energy.

As we wrote earlier, Hungary has one year left of Russian gas – Could Putin turn the taps off sooner?