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Hungary to Sue EU Over Plan to Phase Out Russian Oil and Gas

A contested U.S. waiver underpins Budapest’s bid to keep Russian supplies flowing despite an EU phase‑out set for 2027.

Overview

  • Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said Hungary will challenge the decision at the European Court of Justice, calling the measure a breach of EU law.
  • Orbán accused Brussels of using trade rules to bypass his veto power over sanctions on Russian energy.
  • EU governments approved the phase‑out of Russian oil and gas by end‑2027 in an October vote under qualified majority rules, with only Hungary and Slovakia opposed.
  • Orbán said he secured an exemption after talks in Washington with President Donald Trump, with U.S. officials describing it as a one‑year waiver and Budapest portraying it as open‑ended.
  • Hungary remains highly dependent on Russian fossil fuels, and Orbán said he is exploring unspecified non‑legal steps to avoid the EU measure.