Recently published transcripts reveal that Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó contacted his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov multiple times to inform him about the European Union's negotiations regarding the opening of accession talks with Ukraine. A 2023 phone call, recorded during an EU summit on December 14, shows that Szijjártó left the meeting to tell Lavrov about the status of the discussions, to which Lavrov responded: "Sometimes straightforward blackmail with kindness is the best option."
The leaks come just days before Hungary's general elections, where Prime Minister Viktor Orbán faces the strongest challenge to his 16-year rule from opposition leader Péter Magyar. Hungary's close ties with Russia have become a central campaign issue, causing tensions within the EU.
According to the transcripts, after the 2023 phone call, Orbán dropped his veto and allowed 26 EU leaders to agree on opening negotiations with Ukraine, while Szijjártó remained to follow the discussions. Another transcript dated July 2, 2024, shows that Szijjártó again called Lavrov to coordinate a meeting between Orbán and Russian President Vladimir Putin during Hungary's upcoming presidency of the EU Council.
The recordings also indicate that Szijjártó offered to send Lavrov EU documents on the linguistic rights of Ukrainian minorities, stating: "I will send them to you. It's not a problem." He responded to the publications by calling them "an extremely crude and overt interference by the secret service" and emphasized that Hungary stands for peace and defends its interests.
Meanwhile, the opposition and the European Commission have expressed serious concerns about Szijjártó's alleged actions, labeling them as "open betrayal" and "deeply troubling" for Hungarian and European interests.