Longest contract in history: Hungary to buy gas from France instead of Russia

Hungary has signed the largest-ever deal to purchase liquefied natural gas (LNG) with the French company Engie.

According to Reuters , the contract is designed for 10 years and should reduce the country’s dependence on Russian energy sources.

According to the agreement, Hungarian trader MVM CEEnergy will receive 400 million cubic meters of gas from Engie each year from 2028 to 2038. Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó called the document “the longest LNG contract in the country’s history” and emphasized that it will become a pillar of Hungary’s energy security.

This is Budapest’s second major deal in the past two months. In September, Hungary agreed with Shell to supply 200 million cubic meters of gas annually, starting in 2026. In this way, the country is trying to diversify the market, although it is not ready to completely abandon Russian supplies.

As a reminder, US President Donald Trump called on NATO allies, including Hungary, to reduce imports of Russian energy. Prime Minister Viktor Orban said at the time that an immediate rejection of Russian oil and gas would be a “catastrophe” for the country’s economy.

However, Reuters clarifies that Engie did not say from which sources the gas for Hungary will be supplied. European traders usually form a portfolio of supplies from different regions: the United States, the Middle East, Africa, Australia and even Russia.

Previously, European countries assured Washington that they would completely abandon the import of Russian energy resources by 2027 .

At the same time , the EU is preparing to introduce a complete embargo on Russian gas , which is due to come into effect at the end of 2027.