Szijjártó vows to share Ukraine EU accession papers with Lavrov
Photo: Hungary’s Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó and Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (russiaeu.ru)
Hungary’s Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó has come under criticism again just days before the country’s elections following a leak of conversations with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, Reuters reports.
The reports refer to audio recordings released by an investigative journalism consortium, including VSquare.org. In the recordings, Szijjártó is allegedly heard discussing issues with Lavrov related to Ukraine’s accession to the European Union, sanctions against Russia, and other topics sensitive for the EU.
In one of the recordings, after a request from Lavrov, Szijjártó reportedly agrees to share a document on the role of minority languages in Ukraine’s EU accession talks.
"I will send it to you. It's not a problem," the Hungarian Foreign Minister said.
At the same time, the recordings do not make clear which specific document was being discussed or whether it was publicly available. Reuters noted that it could not independently verify the authenticity of the audio.
Journalists also released other conversations between Szijjártó and Lavrov. According to them, these covered preparations for Viktor Orbán’s visit to Moscow in 2024, the blocking of a new EU sanctions package against Russia in 2025, and details of talks between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
Particular attention has been drawn to the friendly tone of the exchanges. At the end of one conversation, Lavrov says, "All the best my friend," to which Szijjártó replies, "Whenever you need anything, I'm at your disposal."
Budapest’s ties with Moscow
On March 31, audio recordings of conversations between Szijjártó and Lavrov had already surfaced online regarding the lifting of sanctions on influential Russians.
In particular, the Russian minister asked for help in removing Gulbahor Ismailova, the sister of oligarch Alisher Usmanov, from the sanctions list. Later, she was indeed taken off the list.
In addition, The Washington Post reported that Szijjártó regularly stayed in contact with Lavrov during breaks in meetings in Brussels, effectively giving Moscow indirect access to EU negotiations.
The Hungarian minister later acknowledged that he maintains such contact.
