Hungary Seeks to Circumvent U.S. Oil Sanctions

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said his government is working on ways to circumvent recent U.S. sanctions on Russian oil companies after consulting with executives at state-linked energy firm MOL. The measures, issued by the U.S. Treasury and targeting major firms including Rosneft and Lukoil, were introduced amid broader tensions over Russia’s war in Ukraine and the cancellation of a planned Trump–Putin meeting in Budapest. Orbán said bypassing the sanctions is necessary to defend Hungary’s right to buy Russian oil and gas and to keep domestic utility prices low, citing reliance on supplies delivered via the Druzhba pipeline and MOL’s refinery capacity. His stance leaves Budapest at odds with much of the EU, which has reduced reliance on Russian energy, even as neighbors such as Croatia and reportedly Germany discuss alternative supplies or exemptions. Hungary said it is exploring legal and commercial options but did not provide operational details.