FT: The US Senate prepares sanctions against Hungarian authorities for blocking aid to Ukraine

Two US senators plan to introduce a bill that would impose sanctions against senior Hungarian officials involved in obstructing the provision of aid to Ukraine.

Financial Times journalists reviewed the draft law called Block Putin.

The bill was sponsored by Senate NATO Watch Group Co-Chairs Jeanne Shaikhin (Democrat) and Tom Tillis (Republican), who plan to introduce it in the Senate this week.

If approved, the US President Donald Trump will be obliged to impose financial sanctions and ban visas on Hungarian government officials involved in the countryʼs purchases of Russian oil and gas, as well as in blocking a $90 billion EU loan for Ukraine.

The bill does not name specific individuals who will be sanctioned. According to a congressmanʼs aide, the US presidential administration has yet to determine which Hungarian officials were involved in withholding aid to Ukraine and maintaining the countryʼs dependence on Russian energy resources.

What preceded

In February, the European Parliament approved a €90 billion loan for Ukraine in 2026-2027. However, Hungary said it would block the decision until Kyiv resumes the transit of Russian oil to Hungary via the “Druzhba” oil pipeline.

Ukraine says supplies were cut off by Russian attacks, but Hungary and Slovakia say the pipeline is not damaged. As landlocked countries, they are critically dependent on this route for Russian energy supplies.

Parliamentary elections are scheduled for April 12 in Hungary. According to opinion polls, the party of incumbent Prime Minister Viktor Orban is trailing the opposition “Tisza” party led by Peter Magyar in popularity.

In particular, Magyar stated on March 7 that representatives of Russian intelligence had arrived in Budapest at the invitation of Prime Minister Orban to influence the results of the parliamentary elections. A number of world media outlets have also written about Russiaʼs influence on the elections in Ukraine.

At the same time, the US President Donald Trump on March 25 publicly supported the re-election of Viktor Orbán as Prime Minister of Hungary and urged Hungarians to vote for him.

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