Hungary's EU Commissioner Oliver Várhelyi raised a last-minute objection to delay the approval of the EU's roadmap for ending the bloc's Russian energy reliance, according to Politico.

Varhelyi, Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare, questioned the plan just hours before it was due to be approved by the College of Commissioners, according to multiple EU officials familiar with the matter.

The new roadmap, due to be unveiled by Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen, aims to accelerate the EU's disengagement from Russian oil and gas, including legal tools to unwind existing contracts and discourage new deals.

The Commission is expected to debate the objections before deciding whether to override them.

Hungary's foreign ministry did not respond to questions about whether Varhelyi's move had been coordinated with Budapest.

While his concerns have not been publicly disclosed, the move has drawn immediate suspicion given Hungary's long-standing opposition to energy sanctions against Moscow and Prime Minister Viktor Orban's close ties to the Kremlin.

Hungary was the EU's second-largest importer of Russian gas last year, behind France, which doubled its LNG purchases to 10.4bn cubic metres. Budapest imported 7.6 bcm via the TurkStream route in 2024, covered in part by a long-term contract with Gazprom.

Despite Brussels' push to cut ties with Moscow over the war in Ukraine, 17 EU countries continued to buy Russian gas in 2024, either via pipeline or liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments.

Budapest was also the biggest buyer of oil among EU countries in 2024, even as Ukraine's overall transit volumes fell to historic lows. Total shipments via the Druzhba ("Friendship") pipeline reached 4.7mn tonnes, or roughly 80% of the country's needs.

Hungary, along with Slovakia and Czechia, received an exemption from EU sanctions on Russian crude oil imports, which permits Hungary to buy Russian crude via the Druzhba pipeline. The compromise aimed to provide these countries with additional time to develop alternative energy sources.

The Hungarian government justified its dependence on Russian supplies by citing a lack of seaport access, but critics point to its unwillingness to diversify and its alignment with Moscow.

Hungary has built interconnectors with all of its seven neighbours except Slovenia for the shipment of gas. As for replacing Russian oil, landlocked Hungary has other options, such as importing from the Adriatic pipeline, but deliveries remain at a low level as Hungary has criticised Croatia for raising transport fees.

In related news, a new bipartisan US proposal to slap a 500% tariff on countries buying Russian energy sources could have serious ramifications for Hungary's manufacturing industry, financial website Portfolio.hu wrote. The US threat of secondary sanctions is part of a broader strategy aimed at increasing pressure on the Kremlin and its main focus is to weaken the Russia-China energy axis.

CEE's leading energy company, MOL has indicated plans to adapt its refineries to process non-Russian crude by the end of 2026, contingent upon financial support from the EU.

The threat of sanctions could accelerate these efforts, Portfolio.hu wrote. The company earlier estimated that the conversion of its refineries near Budapest and in Bratislava would take 2-4 years and cost $500mn-700mn.