Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump in the White House on 7 November—the first bilateral meeting between the two leaders since Trump’s return to office in January 2025. One of the main topics of discussion will be energy cooperation and, according to the Hungarian outlet Index, Orbán will not arrive empty-handed: the Hungarian government’s proposal could fundamentally reshape Hungary’s energy policy and its partnership with the United States.
According to Index, which claims to have participated in several background discussions involving senior government officials, the two administrations have been working for months on a comprehensive energy deal focused on introducing American nuclear technologies in Hungary and expanding cooperation in the natural gas sector.
The Hungarian government’s goal is to maintain the security and competitiveness of its energy supply while strengthening its economic ties with Washington. In parallel, the United States aims to help bring the Russian–Ukrainian war to an end and expand export markets for its energy sector—particularly in nuclear and LNG.
The most promising field of cooperation is nuclear energy, where both sides’ interests align. Hungary has launched talks on procuring American nuclear fuel and is preparing to introduce American small modular reactor (SMR) technology. The Trump–Orbán meeting is expected to focus on three key issues: nuclear fuel supply, SMR cooperation, and spent fuel storage. According to a government source, ‘all signs suggest that the first commercially operating SMR facility in the world will be based on American technology’, which ‘could also give the United States new leverage in Europe.’
The Hungarian side views nuclear energy as an area where ‘everyone can win—the Americans gain a market, and we gain a diversification opportunity against Russian dependence.’ A policy insider recalled: ‘The Americans simply fell behind, but the second Trump administration is continuing the strategy aimed at restoring the international presence of the US nuclear industry.’ Another source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that ‘at this point, it seems nuclear energy may take precedence over fossil fuels on the agenda of US–Hungarian energy cooperation.’
In addition to nuclear energy, LNG will also be on the table, although the opportunities there are more limited. One participant in a government background briefing stated: ‘The Americans treat the expansion of oil and gas upstream activities—extraction and export alike—as a matter of national interest. They still have not given up persuading their allies to consider greater reliance on American LNG sources.’
Hungary continues to pursue a dual energy policy, maintaining long-term gas contracts with Russia while simultaneously building alternative sources and routes. ‘The long-term gas contract with Russia remains the backbone and most competitive element of Hungary’s gas supply portfolio,’ a government source said, adding that this is ‘not an ideological but an economic decision.’ That stance was also emphasized by the Prime Minister’s Political Director Balázs Orbán.
At the Washington summit, Viktor Orbán is expected to ask Donald Trump to take into account Hungary’s geographical and infrastructural constraints and not to expect a complete disengagement from Russian oil and gas. According to a senior official, Hungary’s offer is clear: ‘Washington should accept that, for historical, geographical, and technical reasons, Hungary cannot fully detach from Russian oil and gas in the short term—in return, we can deepen our nuclear cooperation with the United States.’
The Hungarian side is confident that Trump will show understanding for these realities. ‘The goal is not to punish allies. If we clearly present our unique geographical, physical, and technical situation—and there has been American openness to exceptions before—the summit offers an excellent opportunity to reaffirm this,’ a government official told Index.
Trump already demonstrated such understanding in September, when the two leaders held a phone call discussing Russian energy imports. After the call, Trump acknowledged Hungary’s dependence on Russian energy due to its geography and limited infrastructure. ‘Hungary is sort of stuck because they have one pipeline that’s been there for years and years and years, and they’re inland,’ Trump said, adding that he ‘understands that’.
Overall, the Washington meeting could lay the foundation for a new US–Hungarian energy axis: while Hungary maintains its Russian sources, it is making a strategic opening towards American nuclear technology and, to a lesser extent, natural gas. ‘They need markets, we need security alternatives. It’s a classic case of supply meeting demand—just with a modern geopolitical dimension,’ as one government source aptly put it.
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