HUNGARY PREPARES TO REDUCE RUSSIAN ENERGY DEPENDENCE
Hungary is preparing for a future beyond Russian energy, with Foreign Minister Anita Orbán pointing to autumn 2027 as the EU’s deadline for phasing out Russian natural gas.
Oil supplies are also part of the transition. Hungarian energy company MOL is preparing its refineries to process alternative crude delivered through Croatia’s JANAF pipeline. Budapest’s temporary US sanctions exemption covering purchases from Lukoil and Rosneft expires on November 21, adding urgency to finding other suppliers.
Hungary and the United States have also signed declarations of intent covering energy cooperation and counterterrorism, as Budapest explores ways to broaden its partnerships.
For years, Viktor Orbán defended Hungary’s reliance on Russian energy as a national necessity. That dependence left Moscow with leverage over the country’s economy and complicated European efforts to cut revenues financing Russia’s war.
Diversification gives Hungary more freedom to choose its own direction. The transition will require refinery upgrades, reliable supplies and sufficient pipeline capacity, but the significance is clear: Hungary has an opportunity to reduce the dependence its former leadership worked so hard to preserve.