A new analysis by the Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD), shared exclusively with DW, finds that Hungary has sharply increased its reliance on Russian crude since the full‑scale invasion of Ukraine, even as the EU pushes to phase out Russian fossil fuels. The report says Russian crude accounted for as much as 93% of Hungary’s oil imports in 2025, up from about 61% in 2021, and documents growing dependence on Russian gas and nuclear fuel as well.
The CSD describes Hungary as Europe’s most persistent centre of dependence on Russian energy, arguing that that reliance is reinforced by legal exemptions, long‑term contracts, commercial incentives and politically embedded business networks. Martin Vladimirov, director of the CSD’s energy and climate programme and a co‑author, warned that loopholes in the EU’s gas phaseout regime risk extending dependence on Russian gas and weakening sanctions.
Since 2022, Hungary and Slovakia have repeatedly used exemptions to the EU’s general ban on Russian oil imports to continue substantial purchases. The United States also granted Hungary a temporary exemption: last November then‑President Donald Trump allowed Hungary to keep importing Russian oil and gas for a year, citing difficulties in securing alternatives. The EU says it intends to remove exemptions under its REPowerEU roadmap but has not published full implementation details. Current EU timelines aim to end Russian LNG by December 31, 2026; pipeline gas by September 30, 2027; and all remaining oil imports by the end of 2027.
Both Hungary and Slovakia oppose phasing out exemptions. Hungary recently vetoed a proposed €90 billion EU loan to Ukraine, with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán saying he would not back the package until oil deliveries via the Druzhba pipeline were restored. The Druzhba corridor, which has carried Russian crude to Europe for decades, has not been operational since late January; Ukraine says the pipeline was damaged by Russia, a claim Budapest and Bratislava have questioned.
The CSD report says Hungary’s rising imports have exploited available EU exemptions and the discount on Russian crude. Hungary’s state energy company MOL posted financial gains: its earnings rose roughly 15% in 2025 to about €1.3 billion. The report notes those profits did not pass through to consumers; average weekly pre‑tax fuel prices in Hungary in 2025 were higher than in neighbouring Czechia—about 18% higher for gasoline and 10% higher for diesel—indicating that discounted crude did not lower pump prices for Hungarian and Slovak drivers.
Isaac Levi, an analyst at the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air and a co‑author of the CSD report, said claims that Hungary and Slovakia cannot diversify away from Russian oil are not supported by the evidence and urged the EU to stop supplies that finance Moscow’s war effort immediately.
The report’s publication comes weeks before Hungary’s parliamentary elections on April 12, where energy policy has been a major campaign issue. Opinion polls show the pro‑EU Tisza Party, led by Péter Magyar, could mount a challenge to Orbán’s Fidesz. Magyar has said he would not immediately cut Russian energy imports because of concerns about alternatives, but would set a target of 2035 for switching. Orbán has repeatedly defended Hungary’s energy ties with Moscow and defended the current policy.
The CSD also criticises the EU’s phaseout design. Vladimirov argued that, despite political commitments to end Russian gas imports, the EU’s approach relies on gradual timelines, substantial national discretion and complex origin‑verification mechanisms. Hungary’s long‑term Gazprom contracts and dependence on the TurkStream pipeline make diversification more difficult and suggest little inclination in Budapest to change course. The report warns that loopholes will allow Russian gas to continue entering European markets via routes including Turkey, Azerbaijan and the Western Balkans, and estimates the EU could import about €13.4 billion worth of Russian gas before the planned pipeline cutoff in September 2027.
The Hungarian government did not respond to DW’s request for comment on the report.