Hungary justifies diplomat expulsions to NATO amid spy dispute with Ukraine
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orbán (Getty Images)
Hungarian intelligence agents have shared their version of the spy scandal with Ukraine to NATO counterparts, specifically justifying the expulsion of Ukrainian diplomats, according to the Hungarian outlet VSquare.
An unnamed source told VSquare that, in its explanation to NATO, Hungary complained that Ukraine had breached protocol by publicly disclosing the arrest of Hungarian agents in Zakarpattia. Instead, Ukraine was allegedly expected to follow the usual practice of quiet expulsions or diplomatic warnings.
As a result, the Hungarian government instructed its agencies to expel Ukrainian diplomats over espionage and detain Ukrainian nationals without diplomatic immunity. In other words, Hungary's response was politically motivated.
VSquare noted that Hungary partially shifted responsibility to its intelligence service, KNBSZ, advising intelligence partners to direct all inquiries about the Hungarian spy operation in Ukraine to that agency rather than to civilian institutions.
Spy scandal
On May 9, it became known that the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) had for the first time detained agents of Hungarian military intelligence. The incident took place in Ukraine's Zakarpattia region.
The agents were tasked with gathering information about military equipment and the sentiments of the local population in Zakarpattia.
Following the incident, Hungary announced the expulsion of two Ukrainian diplomats. Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó explicitly called them spies.
