Hungary has rejected calls from U.S. President Donald Trump and NATO allies to halt Russian oil imports, insisting that the country cannot ensure stable energy supplies without them.
Speaking to The Guardian on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said Hungary’s reliance on Russian oil and gas is a matter of physical infrastructure, not politics.
“For us, energy supplies are a purely physical question,” Szijjártó stated. “It can be nice to dream about alternatives, but the infrastructure makes Russian energy essential. Without it, safe supply is impossible.”
Trump recently demanded NATO members stop purchasing Russian oil as a condition for new U.S. sanctions against Moscow.
Posting on Truth Social, he warned he would only increase pressure on the Kremlin once Europe cuts off Russian energy.
Hungary and Slovakia remain the two main EU countries still importing large amounts of Russian crude through the Druzhba pipeline, with Hungary’s state-owned MOL Group bringing in about five million tonnes annually.
European allies, including Poland and Finland, have urged Budapest to comply.
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski called on Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to heed Trump’s appeal, saying Hungary could find alternative supplies.
Finland’s President Alexander Stubb echoed the call, urging Brussels to apply pressure on Hungary and Slovakia.
However, Szijjártó dismissed such criticism, describing western European officials as “fanatics” and insisting dialogue had become “impossible.”
At the same time, he praised warming ties with Washington under Trump.
“The U.S. is a friend now,” he said. “Having the American president as your friend is very different compared to when they pressured us.
Brussels may be severe, but with Trump, we are hopeful.”
The standoff highlights deep divisions within NATO over energy policy as the war in Ukraine drags on.
While most EU states are reducing Russian imports, Hungary continues to resist, aligning Orbán more closely with Trump and maintaining links with the Kremlin.