Overview
- U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that the Paks-2 build has been excluded from sanctions so construction can be completed.
- The project’s design and construction are led by Russia’s state company Rosatom, and work on the new units is reported to be underway.
- Rubio said officials are considering a one-year extension of certain exceptions related to oil and gas supplies.
- Earlier U.S. measures in November 2024 disrupted Hungary–Russia payments via Gazprombank, and a prior exception later faced a potential year-end expiry.
- Hungary’s existing Paks plant supplies roughly half of national power generation, and two new VVER-1200 reactors would raise total capacity to about 4,400 MW.