Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán doubled down Monday on using Russian crude oil during a meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who defended the policy as a perk of Orbán’s closeness with President Trump.  

Orbán signaled that while Budapest would sign a civilian-nuclear cooperation agreement heralded by the US, Hungary would remain Russia’s biggest European energy customer. 

Despite America’s efforts to sanction Russian crude, Rubio said the exemption for Hungary — which was meant to expire later this year — could carry on due to Orbán and Trump’s friendship. 

“Those sanctions waivers happened, as much as anything else, because of the relationship between the prime minister and the president,” Rubio told reporters.

“The prime minister and the president have a very, very close personal relationship and working relationship, and I think it has been incredibly beneficial to the relationship between our two countries.” 

Orbán, whose Fidesz party faces a tough general election battle in April, has been a vocal supporter of Trump and the MAGA movement, with the president often touting Hungary’s anti-immigration policies. 

Trump endorsed Orbán for another term earlier this year, calling the PM a “truly strong and powerful Leader” and “a true friend, fighter, and WINNER.”

Hungary is one of two nations (along with Slovakia) spared from US sanctions on Russian energy following a meeting between Orban and Trump at the White House this past November.

Prior to the meeting, Trump had repeatedly slammed Europe for enabling Moscow to wage war on Ukraine.

Rubio declined to specify how long the exemption for Hungary would last despite the EU’s plan to eliminate its dependence on Russian fossil fuels by the end of 2027. 

Both Hungary and Slovakia are currently working with Croatia to get the flow of Russian oil moving again after a fuel line through Ukraine was damaged last week.

Russian crude flows via the damaged Druzhba pipeline’s southern section fell to a 10-year low of 9.7 million metric tons last year, with Hungary receiving some 4.35 million, according to Ukrainian consultancy ExPro.

In 2025, Russia accounted for more than 92% of Hungary’s crude oil imports, up from 61% before the Ukraine war, according to a new report from the Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD). 

“Despite full access to alternative supply routes… Hungary has deepened its dependence on Russian oil, turning a temporary EU exemption into a permanent loophole in the sanctions regime,” the report alleged.

Orbán is widely considered to be Russian President Vladimir Putin’s most reliable advocate in the European Union, with the prime minister maintaining close ties with the Kremlin. 

Orbán has often suggested his ties with Putin are born from pragmatism, but Ivana Stradner, an expert on Russia with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said she believes the prime minister will never give up on Moscow’s oil.

“Trump is right to push Europe away from Russian energy, and it’s something he’s warned about since his first term,” Stradner told The Post. 

“When it comes to Orbán, Trump might find the carrot helpful, but sticks will do a lot more because Orbán, like Putin, only understands force.”    

Hungary has long depended on Russia for its nuclear energy infrastructure, but the new deal with the US is set to increase the country’s self sufficiency, Stradner noted.  

The State Department said the deal underscores America’s commitment “to making Hungary a hub for regional small modular reactor (SMR) development, and encouraged Hungary to select US SMR technology.”

Under the deal, Hungary will also purchase nuclear fuel from American suppliers for the first time. 

Even with its own nuclear energy setup, Strandner believes Orbán will still stick close to Putin while trying to cozy up to Trump. 

“Orbán is going to continue to use Russian oil,” she said. “Even with the new energy deal, it will take time to fully divorce Hungary from Russian energy, and anyone who thinks otherwise is sorely mistaken.” 

With Post wires