Hungary said it plans to launch an immediate legal challenge against the EU’s decision to phase out Russian natural gas imports by 2027
The statement by Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó came shortly after Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said Budapest would keep buying Russian gas during his meeting with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin on Friday.
Taking EU to court
According to Szijjártó’s Wednesday statement on X, Budapest will contest the measure as soon as it is formally adopted.
“As soon as the RePowerEU plan is formally adopted, we will immediately challenge it before the [European Court of Justice]. Legal proceedings will start without delay,” he wrote. “Preparatory work is already underway. We will do everything necessary to defend Hungary’s energy security.”
Orbán made similar threats in November, calling it an “obviously unlawful solution contrary to European values.”
Budapest has long argued that a Russian gas ban would threaten its national interests, given its heavy dependence on pipeline supplies.
EU’s plan to phase out Russian energy by 2027
The legal move follows the EU’s agreed plan to end long-term Russian gas contracts no later than Nov. 1, 2027 – part of a regulatory package aimed at reducing the bloc’s dependence on Moscow after years of what EU officials have described as Russia’s “weaponization” of energy supplies.
Under the political deal between EU lawmakers and member states, the deadline covers both pipeline gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG). Short-term contracts would be phased out starting in 2026, pending final approval by the European Parliament and Council.
Budapest’s longstanding opposition
Hungary has been among the few EU countries to oppose the bloc’s plan to phase out Russian energy.
All EU members except Hungary and Slovakia supported an earlier decision to phase out remaining Russian gas imports by the end of 2027. In November, Orbán said the EU was “shutting down a national government that disagrees,” calling the decision “obviously unlawful” and pledging to bring the matter before the European Court of Justice.
Orbán argued that Brussels was treating the measure as a trade policy decision rather than a sanction in order to bypass the unanimity requirement. He said the EU was using a majority-vote procedure normally applied to trade matters, which he claimed allowed the bloc to sidestep Hungary’s veto powers.
Hungary’s energy dependence, recent US signals
Hungary remains heavily reliant on Russian energy, receiving about 74% of its natural gas and 86% of its oil via pipelines – supplies threatened by recent Ukrainian strikes on the Druzhba pipeline in Russia.
Orbán has repeatedly framed this dependence as a geographical constraint rather than a political choice, noting that Hungary lacks seaports and relies on overland supply routes.
In early November, Orbán raised the issue with US President Donald Trump, who suggested he was open to a sanctions waiver for Hungary on Russian oil and gas following the US decision to impose sanctions on Russia’s oil sector after long reluctance.
Asked about such an exemption, Trump said: “Sure, we’re looking at it,” adding that Hungary has “a difficult problem” due to its landlocked position. Orbán argued that losing access to Russian energy would carry severe economic consequences for his country.