Two U.S. senators from opposing parties — Democrat Jeanne Shaheen and Republican Thom Tillis — have introduced a bipartisan bill called the Block Putin Act. The legislation provides for financial sanctions and visa bans against senior Hungarian officials who obstruct aid to Ukraine and contribute to Hungary’s continued dependence on Russian energy.
The bill requires President Donald Trump to impose — within 30 days of enactment and then every 180 days thereafter — blocking sanctions and immigration restrictions against members of the Hungarian government who:
block, delay, or otherwise impede the provision of financial or military assistance to Ukraine through U.S., EU, NATO, or other multilateral channels;
approve or continue purchases of Russian oil and gas.
The bill’s sponsors emphasize that Hungary under Viktor Orbán is moving in the opposite direction from its NATO allies: the country has increased its dependence on Russian energy and has repeatedly blocked or delayed major aid packages to Kyiv, including a multibillion-euro EU loan of approximately €90–103 billion.
Senators Shaheen and Tillis, who serve as co-chairs of the Senate NATO Observer Group, stated that the bill gives Hungary a “clear path back” to its alliance commitments: ending dependence on Russian energy and ceasing to block aid to Ukraine.
If enacted, sanctions could only be lifted if Budapest presents and begins implementing a public, time-bound plan to phase out Russian oil and gas, and refrains from obstructing aid to Ukraine for at least 180 days.
It remains unclear whether the bill will secure majority support in the Senate or how the Trump administration will respond. However, the very fact of a bipartisan initiative signals growing frustration in Washington with Budapest’s stance.