U.S. Government Lifts Sanctions Tied to the Expansion of Paks Nuclear Power Plant

The U.S. Government has lifted sanctions related to the expansion of the Paks nuclear power plant that were imposed by the previous administration led by Joe Biden, “who viewed Hungary as an enemy,” Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó announced on Sunday.

The Minister emphasized that prior to Donald Trump’s presidency, the United States had made a number of politically motivated decisions that had placed Hungary in an extremely difficult position, as was the case with the restrictions imposed after the Democratic Party’s defeat last year.

The US has lifted sanctions that blocked construction of the Paks II nuclear plant. These politically motivated measures were imposed by the Biden admin just before @realDonaldTrump took office. Grateful to the Trump admin, as this project will guarantee our future energy supply.

— Péter Szijjártó (@FM_Szijjarto) June 29, 2025

“One of these sanctions was an attempt to undermine Hungary’s long-term energy security by imposing restrictions on the construction of the Paks nuclear power plant that made it practically impossible to continue construction,” he said.

He added:

Fortunately, since January, there has been a president in Washington who considers Hungary a friend. In line with this, the U.S. government has lifted the sanctions related to the Paks nuclear power plant investment.”

“We are therefore grateful to President Donald Trump and we are grateful to the Republican administration. The Paks investment guarantees Hungary’s secure energy supply in the long term and maintains the results of utility cost reductions,” he noted.

Péter Szijjártó stated that with the Paks expansion, Hungary will be able to produce most of the electricity needed to run the country and its economy by the middle of the next decade.

The large equipment needed for the Paks nuclear power plant is being manufactured continuously in Russia and France. On site, in Paks, construction can now gain new momentum,”

he emphasized.

“This will ensure that we can take control of our energy supply in the long term and guarantee that the Hungarian people pay the lowest utility bills in Europe,” he added.

The Minister warned that if the investment had not been able to continue, the country would have been vulnerable in terms of energy supply in the long term, and Hungarians would have had to pay several times the current utility costs in the coming years. “President Donald Trump and his administration helped Hungary with this. At the same time, we still have another battle to fight in Brussels to maintain the possibility of purchasing cheap oil and natural gas, but we will fight that battle too, and we will be successful in that battle as well,” he concluded.

Via MTI, Featured image: MTI/Jánossy Gergely