A bipartisan pair of US senators is set to unveil the “Block Putin” act this week targeting Hungarian officials with sanctions over Budapest’s veto of a key EU aid package for Kyiv and its continued purchases of Russian energy.
In March, Budapest vetoed a previously agreed €90 billion ($104 billion) vital aid package for Kyiv, citing a long-running dispute with Ukraine over Russian oil transit.
If passed, the US bill would impose financial sanctions and visa bans on Hungarian officials involved in Russian oil purchases, though it does not name pro-Kremlin Hungarian leader Viktor Orban, leaving it to the Trump administration to decide whom to target.
The Financial Times (FT), which reported on the planned legislation on Thursday, said the bill is introduced by Democrat Jeanne Shaheen and Republican Thom Tillis, co-chairs of the Senate NATO observer group.
Both have spoken against Europe’s continuous reliance on Russian energy despite Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, according to the FT. Tillis said the bill aims to pressure Budapest to stop buying Russian oil and obstructing Europe’s support for Kyiv.
“The United States and our allies must remain united in supporting Ukraine and in cutting off the revenue streams that fuel Putin’s war,” Tillis said.
“This bill holds senior Hungarian officials accountable while giving Hungary a clear path to get back in line with its allies by ending its reliance on Russian energy and stopping its obstruction of support for Ukraine.”
Shaheen said US President Donald Trump and his administration must consistently pressure all of Europe to stop buying Russian energy – a tacit jab at Trump’s irony in condemning Europe’s Russian oil purchases in his September UN speech while granting exemptions to Orban’s government, whom he recently endorsed ahead of Hungary’s April 12 elections.
“If we want this war in Ukraine to end, the Trump administration needs to be consistent in holding our allies to the same standards; no one, especially Viktor Orban, should get a free pass,” Shaheen said.
Shaheen also criticized the rumored visit of Vice President JD Vance to Hungary in support of Orban ahead of the April elections.
“It is beyond belief that Vice President Vance is reportedly planning on visiting Hungary to provide an electoral boost to a corrupt government that continues to help fund Russia’s war machine,” Shaheen added.
The bill comes as a delegation of Russian lawmakers – some under US sanctions – visits the US to meet unspecified officials in what the Kremlin called a bid to revive ties, with videos showing them touring government buildings, including Capitol Hill.
Orban has maintained ties with the Kremlin – including the alleged sharing of sensitive EU intelligence with Moscow – repeatedly clashing with the bloc while arguing Russian oil remains vital to Hungary’s economy despite its push for alternatives.
Orban’s Fidesz party is running up against the opposition Tisza Party in April’s elections, with Tisza leading in the polls and the gap widening.
While unnamed EU officials told Reuters they would be happy to see Orban go, they are also skeptical whether the Hungarian opposition would change course on issues such as migration and EU enlargement, over which Budapest has locked horns with fellow bloc members for years.