US senators target Hungary with sanctions bill over Russian ties

PublishedBipartisan US senators have introduced the Block Putin Act, which would impose visa bans on 27/03/2026 - 11:21 GMT+1 Hungarian officials accused of enabling Russian energy purchases and blocking EU aid to Ukraine. A bipartisan pair of US senators has introduced the Block Putin Act, a bill that would impose sanctions on Hungarian officials accused of facilitating Russian energy purchases and obstructing Western support for Ukraine. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Democrat Jeanne Shaheen and Republican Thom Tillis are sponsoring the legislation, which would impose a visa ban on designated officials if adopted. The draft bill does not identify any Hungarian politicians by name. Hungary has become the focal point of Russia-related tensions within the European Union. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is blocking the bloc's €90 billion aid package to Ukraine, citing Kyiv's refusal to reopen the Druzhba pipeline, which was damaged in a Russian strike in late January and has not been repaired since. Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó has drawn sharp criticism in Brussels following a Washington Post report that he had shared sensitive information from Foreign Affairs Council meetings with Russian officials. Szijjártó defended the contacts as routine diplomacy, saying he communicates with Moscow before and after Council sessions as a matter of course. "While many of our allies have taken steps to reduce that dependence, Hungary has gone in the opposite direction by increasing its purchases of Russian oil and gas and blocking critical assistance to Ukraine," Senator Tillis said in a statement. Senator Shaheen also criticised the Trump administration's backing of Orbán ahead of Hungary's parliamentary elections on 12 April, in which the opposition Tisza Party is leading in polls. US Vice-President JD Vance is reportedly considering a visit to Hungary in early April in a move seen as an endorsement of Orbán. "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 said. Under the bill, sanctions could be lifted if the Hungarian government presents a credible plan to reduce its dependence on Russian energy and refrains from obstructing Ukraine assistance for at least 180 days. The legislation comes after the outgoing Biden administration sanctioned Antal Rogán, a Hungarian minister and close Orbán ally, for corruption in January 2025. The Trump administration reversed that decision after coming into power. Go to accessibility shortcuts