Hungary’s Russian oil buys fuel Moscow’s war machine and Orbán-linked foundations

A Center for the Study of Democracy analysis says Hungary’s continued import of discounted Russian oil (which accounted for about 92% of its crude in 2025) has not lowered prices for consumers but boosted MOL’s profits (up ~30% since 2022) and funded foundations linked to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, including the Mathias Corvinus Collegium. The report argues this is a political choice, not a necessity, noting Hungary could source non‑Russian crude via the Adria pipeline and that EU policy should ban Russian crude to close loopholes financing the Kremlin’s war machine, a claim set against Hungary’s election season and ongoing sanctions debates.