More and more evidence is emerging that Hungary is siding with the Russian Federation.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has come under renewed criticism just days before the elections in the country due to leaked conversations with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.
This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing Reuters.
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The discussions refer to audio recordings released by a consortium of investigative journalists, including VSquare.org. In them, Szijjarto allegedly discusses with Lavrov issues related to Ukraine’s accession to the European Union, sanctions against Russia, and other topics sensitive to the EU.
In one fragment, Szijjarto supposedly agrees to pass on a document regarding the role of minority languages in the negotiations for Ukraine’s EU membership at Lavrov’s request.
“I will send it to you. It’s not a problem,” Szijjarto stated in one of the recordings.
At the same time, it is unclear from the recordings what specific document was being discussed and whether it was publicly available. Reuters notes that it could not independently verify the authenticity of the audio recordings.
Journalists also released other conversations between Szijjarto and Lavrov. According to them, these discussions concerned preparations for Orbán’s trip to Moscow in 2024, blocking a new EU sanctions package against Russia in 2025, as well as details of negotiations between US and Russian Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
Particular attention was drawn to the friendly tone of their communication. At the end of one conversation, Lavrov says: “All the best, my friend,” to which Szijjarto replies: “If you need anything, I am at your service.”
Hungary’s Ties with Moscow
Recall that on March 31, audio recordings of conversations between Szijjarto and Lavrov about lifting sanctions on influential Russians were already leaked online.
In particular, the Russian minister requested assistance in removing the sister of oligarch Alisher Usmanov, Gulbakhor Ismailova, from the sanctions list, and she was indeed removed from the list afterward.
Additionally, The Washington Post reported that Szijjarto regularly contacted Lavrov during breaks in Brussels meetings, which allowed Moscow to have indirect access to negotiations within the EU.
Later, the Hungarian minister himself acknowledged that he maintained such a connection.
Source: rbc.ua +rel=”nofollow”
