Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who has positioned himself as an opponent of war, will meet with White House host Donald Trump, and he faces a decision about what is more important to him – Russian oil or American friendship, reports the BBC.
In late October, after a meeting with Pope Leo, Orbán said that there is a community in the world that stands against war, and it has two central points: one is the forces led by the US president, and the other is strengthened by the Holy Spirit in the Vatican. The Hungarian added that his country draws strength from both.
On the 7th of November, Orbán may face a difficult meeting at the White House. Currently, the politician, whom Trump has praised as a great leader and whom MAGA (“Make America Great Again”) admires, could find himself in conflict over an issue that is important to him – imports of Russian oil. At the center of the conversation will be a new U.S. demand that Hungary and Slovakia divest themselves of Russian energy resources as soon as possible. This is another attempt by Trump to pressure Moscow to end its military campaign in Ukraine. When asked whether Trump went too far in sanctioning two of Russia’s largest oil refineries, Orbán recently said that from Hungary’s perspective, it was a mistake.
Orbán is using the country’s dependence on Russian energy resources to further his political agenda in several ways. He has used it as a weapon in his attacks on Brussels, as a way to maintain good relations with Moscow, and as a platform for his re-election bid in next year’s elections. Orbán has promised voters “cheap Russian energy.”
The Hungarian prime minister is approaching the election by portraying himself as a stable rock
in today’s increasingly volatile world. However, polls suggest that Orbán may not be voters’ first choice.
Politician has also been angered by Ukrainian drone attacks on the Druzhba pipeline, which has disrupted supplies to Hungary. Several senior Hungarian officials have suggested that the war in Ukraine should end by the end of the year, a notion that seemed absurd, at least until reports emerged that Trump was planning a meeting with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin in Budapest. To Orbán’s dismay, the White House announced on the 21st of October that the meeting would not take place.
Orbán hopes to persuade Trump to ease pressure on Hungary at least until the election. The Hungarian government seems to be hoping that Trump will grow bored with the war in Ukraine and turn away from the issue.
The Hungarian prime minister has been adamantly opposed to Western military and financial support for Ukraine, and has ruled out Ukraine joining the European Union or NATO.
The biggest rift in Hungarian-US relations may be oil.
In 2024, Hungary even increased its oil imports through the Druzhba pipeline. In 2020, Hungarians received 64% of their oil through this pipeline, while in 2024 it was 80%, or five million tons of oil per year. The Hungarian government has indicated that land pipelines are the cheapest way to receive oil, and since the country has no access to the sea, there is no alternative. Much smaller volumes of oil are imported from Kazakhstan, Croatia, Iraq and Azerbaijan. Another reason is that oil refineries in Hungary and Slovakia are specifically adapted to process Russian crude, which has a higher sulfur content than crude obtained elsewhere.
Orbán is currently the longest-serving leader of the EU. He does not intend to leave the bloc, but rather wants to transform it in his own way soon, and has also received praise from Putin for this.
However, Hungary’s arguments are refuted by the example of the Czech Republic. This country is also landlocked. The Czechs have traditionally relied on oil imports from Russia, but when a full-scale war broke out, they invested in improving the connection with Italy (through the Alps) and adapting their oil refineries. In April 2025, the Czech Republic proudly announced that it had completely abandoned Russian oil.
Although the Hungarian oil refining giant MOL is gradually transforming its plants, the political will is lacking. During the meeting, Trump will try to convince Orbán to abandon Russian energy resources, but the Hungarian may find it difficult to explain this to his voters. After years of claiming that Hungary cannot survive without Russian oil and gas, he will certainly lose his reputation if it turns out that it is possible not to use the resources of the aggressor country.
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