Recent audio recordings suggest that Peter Szijjártó, Hungary’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, allegedly offered to transmit documents related to Ukraine’s European Union accession to his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov. These leaks reportedly reveal a seemingly cordial relationship between the two officials.
These recordings are part of a broader series of revelations indicating that Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s administration has, at times, allegedly acted in Russia’s interest, thereby undermining EU efforts to support Ukraine. A key excerpt shows Szijjártó telling Lavrov, “I will send it to you. It’s not a problem,” in response to a request concerning minority languages in EU accession negotiations.
Following these allegations, Szijjártó has branded the alleged wiretaps a “huge scandal,” and Orbán has initiated an investigation. These leaks emerge just days before parliamentary elections, where Orbán faces a pro-EU opponent who could potentially steer Hungary away from Moscow’s influence.