Orban secures energy and defense deals in Washington visit

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced that Russian oil and natural gas supplied to Hungary through the TurkStream and Druzhba pipelines would be completely exempt from US sanctions.

Following his meeting with US President Donald Trump on Friday, Orban told reporters that “there are no sanctions that restrict or increase the cost of these shipments to Hungary. This is a general and indefinite exemption.”

He also said that Washington had lifted sanctions on Hungary’s Paks-2 nuclear power plant project. Hungary plans to source nuclear fuel for the Paks facility from Russia, France, and the US. “We will stand on three pillars,” Orban remarked.

Ahead of the visit, Orban had said he wanted to “open a new chapter” in relations with the US, noting that the previous administration had damaged bilateral ties, while current cooperation was strengthening them again.

Offer of mediation in Ukraine

Orban revealed that during the meeting he offered to help mediate in resolving the conflict in Ukraine.

He added that a summit between the Russian and US leaders in Budapest was under consideration, though no date had been set and the meeting would take place only “when the necessary conditions are met.”

Billion-dollar energy deals

During Orban’s Washington visit, the US and Hungary signed a memorandum of understanding to expand cooperation in the field of civil nuclear energy.

According to the US State Department, the two countries agreed to begin new talks on small modular reactors (SMRs) and spent fuel management.

“Hungary expressed its intention to support the construction of up to ten small modular reactors, with a total potential value of up to $20 billion,” the statement read.

The department also confirmed that Orban had signed a $114 million agreement with Westinghouse to supply nuclear fuel for the Paks I nuclear power plant.

Hungary also committed to purchasing around $600 million worth of American liquefied natural gas (LNG) to diversify its energy supply.

Expanding defense cooperation

Washington and Budapest agreed to begin talks on extending the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA).

The State Department noted that “the Hungarian government has expressed its intention to purchase a total of $700 million worth of defense products under the US Foreign Military Sales program.”

Visas, flights, and academic cooperation

The US State Department announced that both sides had agreed to reinstate Hungary’s full participation in the US Visa Waiver Program.

It added that American Airlines would resume direct seasonal flights between Philadelphia and Budapest starting in May next year.

In the academic sphere, the US-funded Fulbright program will collaborate with Hungary’s “Pannonia” exchange initiative to expand the John von Neumann Award in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Budapest will provide matching financial contributions to the program.

Finally, the department stated that Hungary would contribute $1 million to establish a research center on the “Ethical Use of Artificial Intelligence,” a joint initiative between the Catholic University of America and Pazmany Peter Catholic University.