According to Politico, one of the US president's top aides, Graham, wrote on social media that"Trump is right to demand that Europe stop buying Russian oil." He admitted that Europe has mostly done so, but now"only Hungary and Slovakia remain."
"I hope and expect that they will act soon to help us put an end to this bloody war. If not, then there must be consequences and there will be," the US politician said.
Before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the European Union imported 45% of its gas and 27% of its crude oil from Russia. Last year, these figures fell to 19% and 3%, respectively, and the European Union has banned imports of Russian oil by sea.
In 2024, the European Union spent €21.9 billion on the purchase of Russian energy resources, which accounts for approximately 10% of Russia's total export earnings.
At a time when most European Union member states have ended or sharply reduced their dependence on Russian energy resources, Hungary and Slovakia have done the opposite – they have directly increased their dependence on Russia by exporting oil and gas at relatively low prices.
It is noted that before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Budapest imported 61% of its oil from Russia, but in 2024 this figure had increased to 86%, while Bratislava"is almost 100% dependent on Moscow."