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EU Calls on Hungary to Explain Leaked Phone Calls Suggesting Coordination With Russia
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The European Commission has called on Hungary to urgently explain itself after the latest revelations from leaked phone calls involving Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov raised concerns about Budapest’s relationship with Moscow.
This was reported by The Guardian on April 9.
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In a new recording, Szijjártó is heard appearing to offer to forward an internal EU document to Lavrov regarding Ukraine’s plans to join the European Union. This development follows a series of previous leaks that have heightened suspicions over Hungary’s alignment with Russia, despite being a member state of the European Union.
A spokesperson for the European Commission emphasized that the newly leaked phone call raised “the alarming possibility of a member state coordinating with Russia, thus actively working against the security and the interests of the EU.”
EU Chief Spokesperson Paula Pinho, when asked about the disclosure by a central European media consortium, described the revelations as “extremely concerning.”
“The alleged revelations in that additional piece of investigative journalism that you are referring to highlight the alarming possibility of a member state’s government coordinating with Russia, thus actively working against the security and the interests of the EU and all its citizens,” she added.
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Pinho expressed that the situation was extremely concerning, emphasizing that it was the responsibility of the member state's government to provide an explanation as a matter of urgency. She also stated that President Ursula von der Leyen would raise the issue at the leaders’ level.
Hungarian authorities also have been alerted to a concerning new investigation revealing possible links between Russia’s embassy staff in Budapest and intelligence services. According to a report by Agentstvo published on April 8, nearly half of the 47 accredited personnel at the Russian embassy may be connected to Russian intelligence agencies, including military intelligence and the Federal Security Service (FSB).
The investigation uncovered that at least 15 embassy staff members have documented ties to these intelligence organizations. Additionally, the report indicated that six more individuals are suspected of having possible connections to intelligence networks.
The findings suggest that many of the embassy staff members have profiles typical of career intelligence officers, with backgrounds in specialized security academies and residential registrations linked to government-affiliated properties in Moscow. Journalists highlighted how the professional and educational histories of these individuals strongly indicate affiliations with Russian intelligence, a practice often employed to build intelligence networks under the cover of diplomatic immunity.
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Among those named in the investigation is First Counselor Vyacheslav Shmidt, aged 43, who was registered in Moscow at an address on Marshal Biryuzov Street, the same location where at least three individuals tied to Russian military intelligence are reportedly registered. Another first counselor, 41-year-old Alexei Shaposhnikov, was listed in a contact database as “Lesha FSB” and has a history working at Rossotrudnichestvo, an organization promoting Russian interests abroad that is widely suspected of functioning as a front for intelligence operations.
Meanwhile, Hungary's government extended its support to Iran shortly after a September 2024 operation targeting Hezbollah militants that involved bomb-laden pagers.
The Hungarian authorities conveyed their willingness to provide intelligence data and share the findings of an internal investigation with Iran, a key backer of the Lebanese Hezbollah group.
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