Budapest's sharp turn away from the Kremlin has drawn a warning from Moscow: a senior Russian lawmaker has threatened to cut off energy supplies to Hungary after the new government formally labelled Russia a security threat.
The shift marks a decisive break with the era of Viktor Orbán, who for years positioned Hungary as Moscow's closest ally inside the European Union. Péter Magyar's Tisza Party swept to power in April, and his administration has since pledged a foreign policy reset, prioritising closer ties with Brussels and NATO while distancing itself from the Kremlin.
In a document published on Wednesday outlining Hungary's position ahead of the 81st UN General Assembly, the government condemned Russian military aggression and expressed full support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. It also called for negotiations toward a sustainable peace with security guarantees. The document went further, stating that "Russia's behaviour poses a threat to Hungary, Europe and the global order, and also endangers the Hungarian minority living in Transcarpathia."
Moscow has not issued an official response, but Andrei Kolesnik, a member of the State Duma's Defence Committee and a loyalist of Vladimir Putin's United Russia party, told the Russian outlet Gazeta.ru that Hungary's new posture could have direct consequences. "He [Magyar] has been instructed to take a hostile stance towards Russia," Kolesnik said. "They are trying to gain some sort of advantage. I think oil and energy supplies to Hungary from Russia are now in doubt following such statements."
Kolesnik, who did not name Magyar directly, also accused Hungary of bowing to pressure from the European Union to adopt anti-Russian policies. His remarks echo a familiar Kremlin line that EU member states are not acting in their own interests.
Energy dependence remains a vulnerability
Hungary is one of the last EU countries still importing significant volumes of Russian oil and natural gas through the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline. Along with Slovakia, Budapest secured an exemption from EU sanctions that banned pipeline oil imports from Russia in 2022. That exemption has been a lifeline for the Hungarian economy, but it also leaves the country exposed to exactly the kind of pressure Kolesnik is now threatening.
The warning comes at a delicate moment for European energy security. While the EU has worked to reduce its reliance on Russian fossil fuels, landlocked countries like Hungary and Slovakia have limited alternatives. Any disruption to Russian supplies would force Budapest to seek emergency imports from other sources, potentially at higher cost.
Orbán, who was ousted in April, had long argued that Russia posed no threat to Hungary, pointing to NATO's overwhelming military strength and Hungary's own membership in the alliance. He repeatedly blocked EU statements and sanctions against Moscow, earning him a reputation as Putin's most reliable partner in Brussels. His government also maintained close economic ties with Russia, including a controversial expansion of the Paks nuclear power plant by Rosatom.
The new Tisza government has signalled a complete reversal. Magyar has already moved to align Hungary more closely with EU and NATO positions on Ukraine, and the security doctrine published this week is the clearest sign yet that Budapest is abandoning the Orbán-era approach.
Moscow's response has been slow to materialise, but Kolesnik's threat is unlikely to be an isolated remark. Russian officials have previously used energy supplies as a political lever against European countries, most notably cutting gas deliveries to Bulgaria and Poland in 2022. The Kremlin has also shown a willingness to target countries it perceives as hostile, as seen in the forced recruitment efforts reported in Russia.
Hungary's new stance also comes amid broader tensions between Russia and the West. Recent reports of a secret CIA chief visit to Moscow have raised questions about the state of US-Russia relations, while European allies remain wary of Russian hybrid threats. The EU's cybersecurity body recently confirmed that state-backed hackers targeted officials' messaging apps, underscoring the ongoing confrontation.
For Hungary, the immediate challenge is to balance its new pro-European course with the practical realities of energy dependence. The government has said it is exploring alternative suppliers, but analysts note that replacing Russian oil and gas would take years and require significant investment. In the meantime, Budapest must hope that Moscow's threats remain rhetorical.
The coming months will test whether Hungary can sustain its foreign policy pivot without suffering economic consequences. The EU has welcomed Budapest's shift, but it has not offered concrete guarantees on energy security. As the standoff deepens, Hungary may find itself caught between its new allies and its old supplier.
