Did Orbán get what he went to Washington for? Yes — But he forgot to mention it only lasts one year

The U.S. Embassy in Budapest issued an official briefing following the meeting between Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and U.S. President Donald J. Trump. According to the statement, relations between the two countries have “reached new heights of cooperation and achievement” in recent months, with particular emphasis on energy partnership, defence cooperation and the expansion of scientific and research programmes.

New energy agreements and further diversification

The two sides signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at developing cooperation in the field of civil nuclear energy. The intention is to position Hungary as a regional hub for small modular reactors (SMRs) in Central Europe. The Hungarian government indicated that it is prepared to support the construction of up to ten such reactors, with a potential total value of up to 20 billion U.S. dollars.

Prime Minister Orbán also announced that U.S.-based Westinghouse will supply nuclear fuel to Hungary’s Paks I power plant, under a contract valued at approximately 114 million dollars. In addition, Hungary is expected to purchase around 600 million dollars’ worth of U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG), further diversifying its energy supply.

We will discuss exemptions from sanctions in more detail below.

Easier travel and the return of direct flights

According to the briefing, Hungary’s full participation in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program will be restored, making legitimate travel to the United States easier while maintaining rigorous security screening.

American Airlines will resume direct seasonal flights between Philadelphia and Budapest starting in May 2026.

Closer security and defence cooperation

The two countries will launch negotiations to renew the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA), signalling closer bilateral defence cooperation. The Hungarian government also plans to purchase defence equipment worth around 700 million dollars through foreign military sales.

Hungary has also joined the Artemis Accords, an international framework supporting peaceful and transparent cooperation in space exploration.

Joint research, scholarships and innovation

Under the Fulbright programme, the John von Neumann Distinguished Award in STEM will be expanded, creating new exchange opportunities for both American and Hungarian researchers and students. The Hungarian government will contribute additional funding to match U.S. support.

Hungary will also provide 1 million dollars to establish a joint research consortium examining the ethical use of artificial intelligence, in cooperation between The Catholic University of America and Pázmány Péter Catholic University.

Meanwhile, Hungary’s HUN-REN Research Network has signed a collaboration agreement with MIT’s Center for International Studies to launch joint projects and academic mobility programmes.

Sanctions exemption: But only for one year, and at a high price

While Viktor Orbán and Péter Szijjártó spoke at their press conference in the United States of a “general and unlimited” exemption from sanctions regarding Russian gas and oil shipments, U.S. sources describe the situation differently. Reuters and the BBC, citing a White House official, reported that:

Hungary has, in fact, received a one-year exemption from U.S. sanctions imposed on Russian energy carriers.

The statement issued by the U.S. Embassy in Budapest does not specify the duration of the exemption, while the Hungarian side emphasises that deliveries via the TurkStream gas pipeline and the Druzhba oil pipeline can continue uninterrupted.

However, it is unclear whether the phrase “without restrictions” refers to time or simply to the volume that may be imported. Officially, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs must submit the necessary exemption requests to OFAC, the U.S. Treasury body responsible for sanctions.

The exemption has not come without cost: the cooperation package includes a USD 114 million purchase of American nuclear fuel, a USD 600 million LNG agreement, and approximately USD 700 million in defence procurement.

Taken together, the commitments amount to roughly USD 1.4 billion – or around HUF 466 billion.

In addition, a declaration of intent was signed for the potential purchase of up to ten U.S.-designed small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) – although no concrete decision or final pricing has yet been made. However, the two sides did not manage to reach an agreement on renewing the treaty on avoiding double taxation.

You can read more about the meeting below:

• Breaking: Hungary signs historic nuclear agreement with the United States
• Orbán’s pro-Russia stance brings the two major US parties together: Democrats and Republicans send joint message to the Hungarian PM
• Open endorsement at Trump–Orbán meeting: “I will support Orbán, I do not know his opponent”
• Orbán claims victory: Trump grants Hungary full sanctions waiver on Russian oil and gas