Hungary’s Magyar seeks US oil waiver after Russia diesel deal

Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar has argued that Washington’s diesel agreement with Moscow gives Budapest grounds to expect another year of relief from US sanctions on Russian oil, according to RT’s October 18 report. His position contrasts with criticism of the agreement from Italian and Lithuanian leaders.

Speaking to Hungarian outlet 444 on October 17, Magyar described the agreement as important for Hungary. He said the country’s existing exemption runs until November and reasoned that allowing Russian diesel exports while refusing to renew Hungary’s oil waiver would be inconsistent. His remarks express an expectation, not an announced US decision.

The report says US President Donald Trump relaxed restrictions on Russian diesel exports after a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin the previous week, seeking to ease fuel prices before the November 3 US midterm election.

Budapest’s dependence shapes its position

Hungary’s exemption was negotiated by Trump and Magyar’s predecessor, Viktor Orban, the report says. Landlocked Hungary relies heavily on Russian pipeline energy supplies; the article cites S&P Global data showing that Russia supplied about 90% of its crude oil in 2025.

Magyar acknowledged Ukraine’s objections to the diesel arrangement. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni warned that it could weaken the wider Western sanctions policy, while Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys questioned both its effect on fuel prices and its consequences for transatlantic unity. These are objections from individual European leaders, rather than evidence of a new collective EU decision.

Planned shipments and wider sanctions relief

Moscow said it would release 300,000 metric tons of diesel immediately and another 500,000 metric tons in November, according to the report. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandr Novak said deliveries to the US market would take 15 to 20 days after companies signed contracts that were still under discussion. The figures therefore describe announced supply plans, not completed shipments.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky opposed the agreement and warned after an October 16 EU summit appearance in Brussels that it could lead to gas deals and further sanctions relief. That prospect remains his warning, not a confirmed sequence of policy changes.

The report also says Trump signed an executive order on October 17 waiving sanctions provisions associated with proposed tariffs of 500% on Russian imports and 100% on major buyers of Russian oil and gas. It quotes White House Deputy Press Secretary Taylor Rogers as defending the move on the grounds that immediate enforcement would obstruct negotiations over the Ukraine conflict. BharatVox has not independently verified the reported agreement or executive order.