Orbán’s ‘pro-peace’ government becomes largest EU financier of Russia’s war

Budapest International Book Festival Putin Orbán russia war
Putin and Orbán in July in Moscow. Photo: FB/Orbán

Since the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war on 24 February 2022, Hungary has purchased gas and oil from Russia for a total of EUR 15.6 billion. According to data from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, an independent research institute in Finland, this makes the Orbán government the largest EU financier of Putin’s war.

According to 444.hu, while many EU countries have drastically reduced their dependence on Russian energy sources, Hungary has taken a different path. Italy reduced its Russian gas imports from 43% in 2020 to 5% in 2024. Austria announced it had found alternative routes, eliminating its dependence on Russian gas. Moreover, the Czech Republic and Poland had previously declared their independence from Russian gas.

In contrast, Hungary has increased its gas imports from Russia to unprecedented levels.

Financial impact

The result of Hungary’s continued reliance on Russian energy has been significant.

Over the past two years, Hungary has become the largest EU financier of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

In the previous year, Slovakia and France followed Hungary in paying the most to Russia for gas and oil, with France purchasing only liquefied natural gas (LNG).

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14 Comments

  1. Not much of a surprise, and a very small part of the whole story. But, perhaps Daily News Hungary has stumbled upon why I don’t sleep well at nights. My house is heated with gas.

    • I’m sure you’d sleep a lot better without heating.
      In fact, you could be happily asleep… permanently, if Orbán did cut the gas supply.

      But hey, who wouldn’t die for a foreign dictator, that wages a war on your nationality?

  2. Facts & Truth – in Solidarity.
    In the continuation of our decline as a country, growing citizen stress, and what accompanies stress, especially health wise, just one of the multitude of reasons, why the Orban led Fidesz Government of Hungary are “Dead in the Water” – FINISHED.
    Facts & Truth – builds and through the rightful pressurization on Orban, his Fidesz Government, the Fidesz Political Membership the DECLINING state of our Economy, the declining Respect and Trust in the name Hungary.
    Orban and his “toxic” & “heinous” Fidesz Government, a culture that is one encased in the practice of Treachery and of a “Judas” behaviour – delivering us as a country to the state we presently are in, and humongous doubts of our FUTURE, through People Power in Solidarity, in calmness and orderly in our challenge to the Orban – Fidesz Government, if we “Will it” want it, believe we NEED – can bring Orban and his Fidesz Government – DOWN.
    Facts & Truth.
    Hungarians – we have a growing armoury.

    • Yes, that’s exactly why the people of Hungary hate him so much.
      Oh wait, he has more votes then all other parties (excluding MH) combined.

      Time to wake up, and force the opposition to be a bit less disgusting, if you hate him so much.

      And you are clearly the minority with your opinion.

  3. I have happily used our fireplace actively to heat our house with locally sourced firewood and decreased the use of gas heaters to minimum. Not cheaper and requires some effort during heating season and creates more local pollution, but at least its something little to lessen the use of Russian sourced gas.

  4. What the anti-Orban news omits is that the gas flows through Ukraine who earns money on that Russian gas as well.

    While citing specific examples to make Hungary look bad, the EU gets about 45% of its gas still from Russia.

    Those that switched to coal or wood are destroying the Earth and not listening to Greta enough! How Dare You!

  5. Look, Daily “News” Schwab, why don’t you just aver that Orban and Szijarto have been personally breaking-and-entering into our homes, taking money straight out of our wallets, keeping a half for themselves, and sending the other half in giant trucks to Putin himself?

    Seriously, the gap between that and the tendentious drivel you print is practically nonexistent.

  7. Hungarians should say “thank you” to Russia for the reliable supply of energy and their help to establish Paks 2. No Hungarian senior died because of lack of heat like some German seniors last winter. Hungary has every right to ensure its energy supply, Russia has every right to determine their yearly budget.

    Ukraine is Hungary’s enemy. To date, it still oppresses the Hungarian minority that stuck in Ukraine because of the Treaty of Trianon.

    The US is still trading natural resources with Russia in spite of the sanctions. It is time to put aside stupid European fears and policies and help President Trump to establish peace between Russia/Ukraine.

  8. The EU spent more on Russian energy than it gave to Ukraine in aid. But, boy can those EU leaders Tweet!

  9. Oh no!
    Hungarians dont want their economy to die for dictatorial Brusselian burocrats’ dream of conquering the world?! How dare they?!

    How evil those Hungarians are. Standing in the way of the socialist utopia coming true.

    It’s almost as evil, as arguing to stop the millions of deaths going on. How will the Green Dream come true with all these slaves around?
    Or that Nato shouldn’t have staged a coup in Ukraine, and provoked Russia into joining the resulting Ukrainian civil war.

    These are talking point of Russian agents, I tell you. Straight from hell.

  10. The leader of any nation or country must first respond well to the needs of it’s own, then to reach outside to aide others thru many means available to their finances, skill sets, citizen’s ideologies & tolerances. Easy to sit at home with unkept hair, unshaved, in slippers & ugly jogging clothes to critisize!

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