Budapest will continue to have the lowest energy prices in the EU, the prime minister has said
President Donald Trump has agreed to provide Budapest with an exemption from Washington’s sanctions on Russian oil, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban told reporters after their meeting at the White House on Friday.
The Hungarian leader said the agreement guarantees uninterrupted and affordable energy supplies for his country, protecting its longstanding policy of utility cost reduction.
“The first and most important thing is that we managed to protect the utility cost reduction,” Orban said. “So Hungary will continue to have the lowest energy prices in Europe.”
According to Orban, Hungary received “complete exemption” from US sanctions affecting Russian oil delivered through the Turkish Stream and the Druzhba (Friendship) Pipeline.
“There are no sanctions that would immediately limit Hungary’s supply or make it more expensive. This is a general and unlimited exemption,” he added.
🇺🇸🤝🇭🇺 @PM_ViktorOrban : We secured full, unlimited exemption from sanctions on the TurkStream and Druzhba pipelines, guaranteeing uninterrupted and affordable supply.
We have defended the utility price reduction scheme, ensuring that Hungary continues to have the lowest energy… pic.twitter.com/e13psulvlb
Orban’s comments followed a public remark by President Trump earlier in the day, suggesting that Hungary’s geography and limited access to alternative energy sources justified an exception. “We’re looking at it because it’s very difficult for him to get the oil and gas from other areas,” Trump said, referring to Orban. “It’s a big country, but they don’t have sea. They don’t have the ports. And so they have a difficult problem.”
Trump added that other European countries were in a different position, and reiterated his longstanding criticism of the EU’s reliance on Russian energy while benefiting from US security support. “Many of those countries, they don’t have those problems. And they buy a lot of oil and gas from Russia. And as they know, I’m very disturbed by that,” he said.
Last month, the US imposed sanctions on Russian energy giants Rosneft and Lukoil, both of which continue to export oil to Hungary and Slovakia. Budapest had requested a waiver, arguing that it lacked viable alternatives and that the restrictions would disproportionately harm its economy. Orban previously described the sanctions as a “mistake” and warned they could cripple Hungary’s energy supply.
Hungary has been among the most vocal EU member states opposing broad sanctions on Russian energy. Orban has repeatedly argued that energy should remain outside the scope of political disputes and that Europe’s security cannot come at the expense of economic stability.
The EU has seen a surge in energy prices since the bloc began phasing out Russian fuel imports following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. The resulting supply disruptions have led to increased industrial costs and broader debates over Europe’s energy independence. Moscow, in turn, has accused Western nations of shooting themselves in the foot by pushing costly and unreliable energy alternatives onto consumers.
