Overview
- The waiver followed President Donald Trump’s Nov. 7 White House meeting with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, with U.S. officials specifying a one-year duration that Hungary publicly disputes.
- As part of the package, Hungary agreed to contracts worth about $600 million for U.S. liquefied natural gas and to cooperate on civil nuclear projects, including U.S. fuel and support for up to 10 small modular reactors.
- Orbán said he secured a U.S. 'financial shield' to protect Hungary’s economy and public finances, though Washington has not detailed the mechanism and Hungarian officials have offered few specifics.
- Hungarian leaders say the waiver covers supplies via the Druzhba oil and TurkStream gas pipelines, while the White House has confirmed only the limited one-year exemption without outlining pipeline-specific terms.
- Energy analysts and critics warn the carve-out weakens sanctions pressure on Moscow, with one estimate saying it could enable more than €1 billion to reach the Kremlin’s revenues.