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Diplomats tell POLITCO, that Hungary’s foreign minister was suspected of passing on information.
It is nothing new, that Hungary is more alligned with the Kremlin that most other European countries.
What is new, however, is that Hungarian ministers may be acting as spies on behalf of Putin.
According to a report by The Washington Post, the Hungarian Foreign Minister, Péter Szijjártó, contacted his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, during breaks in meetings with other EU member countries, potentially providing sensitive information to the Kremlin.
In a report from Hungarian news agency, Telex, Péter Szijjártó dismissed the report from The Washington Post, calling it “completely false, pro-Ukrainian propaganda”.
But now, several EU diplomats POLITICO, that access to confidential material has been restricted for Hungary amid fears it could reach Moscow.
Rising concerns
Officials told POLITICO that alternative diplomatic groupings are increasingly used to sidestep risks. These include smaller alliances such as Weimar or Nordic-Baltic formats.
Former Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said precautions date back years. “We would only speak in formal terms, later breaking out to speak without Hungary about the achievables of the summit,” he said.
Similar steps were reportedly taken ahead of the 2023 NATO summit, limiting Hungary’s access to sensitive discussions.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk publicly voiced suspicions, writing on X: “The news that Orbán’s people inform Moscow about EU Council meetings in every detail shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone.”
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Despite the allegations, diplomats said no formal EU action is expected before Hungary’s April 12 election, citing fears of influencing the vote.
Pivotal vote coming
It is not often an election in Hungary gets global attention, but for the first time in more than a decade, there is a real possibility that Prime Minister, Victor Orbán, could lose power in the Eastern European country.
According to POLITICO‘s poll-tracker, Orbáns ruling party, Fidesz, has been trailing in the polls since December 2024.
Sources: POLITICO, Washington Post, Telex, post on X by Donald Tusk
