---
title: "Hungary's Orban says he will seek exemption from US oil sanctions"
description: "Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday he hopes to convince President Donald Trump that Hungary should be exempted from U.S. sanctions on Russian oil because of its high dependence on pipeline networks for its energy supplies."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Newsdeck"
author: "Reuters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-10-31-hungarys-orban-says-he-will-seek-exemption-from-us-oil-sanctions/"
published: "2025-10-31T12:28:22"
updated: "2025-10-31T12:28:23"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 268
---

# Hungary's Orban says he will seek exemption from US oil sanctions

> Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday he hopes to convince President Donald Trump that Hungary should be exempted from U.S. sanctions on Russian oil because of its high dependence on pipeline networks for its energy supplies.

By Reuters · Published 31 October 2025, 14:28 SAST · Updated 31 October 2025, 14:28 SAST

## Key points
- As Hungary's Viktor Orban prepares to charm Trump into granting exemptions from U.S. sanctions on Russian oil, he’s reminding everyone that being landlocked is a real buzzkill when it comes to energy independence—especially with a Danube refinery on the fritz.
- Hungarian PM Viktor Orban plans to discuss U.S. sanctions on Russian oil firms Rosneft and Lukoil with Trump on November 7, seeking a broader economic agreement.
- Orban emphasizes Hungary's reliance on energy transport routes, primarily pipelines, due to its landlocked status.
- He highlights Germany's successful exemption from sanctions for Rosneft's German operations, raising concerns about Hungary's crude import dependency.
- Following a fire at MOL's Danube refinery, Hungary is amending stockpiling laws to ensure fuel supply for critical users during emergencies.

## Content

Orban has said he will discuss U.S. sanctions on Russian oil companies Rosneft ROSN.MM and Lukoil LKOH.MM with Trump at a meeting scheduled for November 7 and aims to conclude a broad economic agreement with the United States.

"Hungary is a landlocked country... We are dependent on those transport routes through which energy can reach Hungary. These are mostly pipelines," Orban said.

"We have to make the Americans understand this peculiar situation ... if we want them to allow exemptions from the American sanctions against Russia," he said.

Orban said that despite having access to the sea, Germany had sought an exemption for one of its refineries.

Germany's economy minister said on Tuesday he had received assurances from Washington that Rosneft's German business would be exempt from the sanctions because the assets are no longer under Russian control. Rosneft's German arm owns a controlling stake in the Schwedt oil refinery.

The new U.S. sanctions, which pose a risk to Hungary's reliance on crude imports from Russia, were announced days after a fire at the main Danube refinery of Hungarian oil group MOL MOLB.BU that forced it to operate at reduced capacity.

On Thursday, Hungary's government published draft legislation to amend a law on stockpiling of imported crude and crude products to enable it to designate so-called standby filling stations to provide fuel to critical users in a supply emergency.

Orban's talks with Trump next week will be his first bilateral meeting with the U.S. president since his long-time ally returned to the White House.

(Reporting by Krisztina Than and Anita Komuves; Editing by Sharon Singleton and Timothy Heritage)