Péter Szijjártó

Force in Play

Leading Hungary's diplomatic offensive over pipeline dispute

For decades, Russian oil flowed west through the Druzhba pipeline and European electricity flowed east into Ukraine's war-battered grid. That exchange collapsed after a Russian drone strike knocked out the pipeline's main Ukrainian pumping station on January 27. Slovakia and Hungary, the last European Union members importing Russian crude through the pipeline, then escalated from halting diesel exports to threatening Ukraine's electricity supply.

Updated May 29

Rule Changes

Co-signatory of the nuclear cooperation agreement

For decades, Hungary has relied almost entirely on Russia for nuclear fuel, natural gas, and oil—a dependency that persisted even as the rest of Europe scrambled to cut ties after Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. On February 16, 2026, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó signed an agreement. Hungary can now purchase up to 10 American-built small modular reactors worth as much as $20 billion and will start receiving Westinghouse fuel for its Paks I plant by 2028.

Updated May 29