Hungary’s newly elected leader, Peter Magyar, stormed to power last weekend after campaigning to, among other things, take a step back from Russia.Instead, Magyar has promised voters he will steer Hungary back towards the European Union, following the 16-year rule of far-right Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who went to great lengths to deepen ties with Russia.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listUnder Orban, Hungary opposed most of the European Union’s stances against Russia and blocked sanctions and obstructed military aid for Ukraine.Above all, he and his Fidesz party entrenched Hungary’s reliance on Russian oil.Now, following a massive electoral turnout and a landslide victory, Magyar – once a devotee of Orban and now leader of the centre-right Tisza party – has promised to end Russian oil imports by 2035. But how realistic a goal is that? And can he achieve it? Peter Magyar celebrates after Prime Minister Viktor Orban conceded defeat in the parliamentary election in Hungary, April 12, 2026 [File: Leonhard Foeger/Reuters]How much does Hungary depend on Russia for energy?Hungary has been central to keeping Russian oil and gas flowing into the EU, even as Europe and the US banned some imports and imposed sanctions on anyone paying more than $60 a barrel for Russian oil.Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the EU banned seaborne imports of Russian oil but kept land flows legal. That allowed Hungary to continue importing most of its crude by pipeline via Ukraine.The EU first announced plans to phase out Russian energy imports in May 2022, shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In December 2025, a binding agreement was made for member nations to completely phase out Russian oil and gas imports by late 2027. B …
