EditWas Moscow at the Council table? Hungary’s ties to Moscow strain EU relations
Szijjártó has routinely briefed his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, on sensitive discussions during European Union Council meetings, according to the Washington Post
A explosive report from The Washington Post has thrust Hungary’s foreign policy under intense scrutiny, revealing allegations that Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó has routinely briefed his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, on sensitive discussions during European Union Council meetings.
These claims, emerging just weeks before Hungary’s parliamentary election on 12 April 12 have amplified concerns about Moscow’s influence within the bloc and intensified the high-stakes contest between Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his rising challenger, Péter Magyar of the Tisza Party.
The Washington Post, citing multiple current and former European security officials, detailed how Szijjártó allegedly made regular phone calls to Lavrov during breaks in EU summits, delivering “live reports” on ongoing deliberations and potential solutions. One anonymous European security official asserted that such communications meant “Moscow has actually been at the negotiating table” for many years. The report further highlighted broader channels of information flow to Russia, including alleged penetrations of the Hungarian Foreign Ministry’s computer networks by Russian hackers, as described by Ferenc Fresz, former head of Hungary’s Cyber Defence Service. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Szijjártó has made 16 official visits to Moscow, including a meeting with President Vladimir Putin on 4 March, underscoring the depth of bilateral engagement.
Szijjártó swiftly rejected the accusations as “fake news” and “crazy conspiracy theories,” attributing them to propaganda orchestrated by political opponents and Ukraine to bolster the Tisza Party and install a “pro-war puppet government” in Hungary. In responses on social media platform X and Facebook, he dismissed the claims as lies designed to interfere in the upcoming election. Poland’s Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski referenced the report pointedly in a post, prompting Szijjártó’s sharp retort.
The allegations resonated strongly in Warsaw, where Prime Minister Donald Tusk described them as credible and unsurprising. Tusk, who has long harbored suspicions about Hungary’s interactions with the Kremlin, explained that such concerns had influenced his own approach to European Council discussions, limiting his interventions to essentials only. He emphasized that doubts about Orbán’s government providing Moscow an “important window” into EU deliberations had persisted for years, shaping how other leaders navigated sensitive talks.
Compounding the controversy, the Washington Post cited an internal report from Russia’s foreign intelligence service (SVR), obtained and authenticated by a European intelligence service, which proposed staging a fake assassination attempt on Orbán, dubbed “the Gamechanger”, to reverse his declining poll numbers and rally support by shifting focus to security and stability. This purported plot emerged amid worries in Moscow about Orbán’s eroding popularity ahead of the vote.
Orbán’s defiance over Ukraine aid fuels EU fury
The revelations coincide with fresh tensions at the European level, where Orbán’s recent actions at an EU summit have drawn sharp rebukes from fellow leaders. During the 19 March gathering in Brussels, Orbán refused to lift his veto on implementing a €90 billion loan package for Ukraine, despite Hungary’s earlier consent in December. He conditioned approval on Ukraine repairing the Druzhba pipeline, a Soviet-era conduit for Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia damaged by Russian airstrikes in January. Kyiv has argued that resuming flows would undermine sanctions on Moscow, while Orbán framed his stance as defending national energy security.
The blockade provoked widespread indignation among EU counterparts. European Council President António Costa condemned Hungary’s conduct as “completely unacceptable,” declaring that “nobody can blackmail the European Council” or its institutions. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz labeled it a “gross act of disloyalty” and a breach of loyalty among member states, warning that it undermined the EU’s collective ability to act and damaged its reputation. French President Emmanuel Macron called the outcome “unprecedented” and insisted the loan must proceed without delay. Even as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the summit via video link, pleading for the funds as a critical security guarantee, the impasse persisted, leaving the aid in limbo despite vows from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that it would be delivered “one way or the other.”
Orbán remained unyielding, posting on X that Hungary had “stood its ground” and would not release funds until the oil blockade ended. Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico, another figure maintaining close ties to Moscow, also withheld full endorsement of the summit’s conclusions on Ukraine support, further complicating unanimity requirements.
These developments have heightened the drama surrounding Hungary’s April 12 election, where Orbán, the EU’s longest-serving leader after 16 years in power, confronts his most formidable challenge yet from Péter Magyar. Once aligned with Fidesz, Magyar has transformed Tisza into a potent anti-corruption and pro-European force, consistently leading in polls and framing Szijjártó’s alleged actions as “pure treason” against Hungary and Europe. Magyar has seized on the Washington Post report during campaign stops, accusing the government of betraying national interests for Moscow’s benefit.
As the election nears, the intertwined issues of Russian influence, blocked Ukraine aid, and Orbán’s defiance have sharpened divisions. The claims risk polarizing voters further, with Orbán positioning himself as a defender of sovereignty against Brussels and Kyiv, while opponents portray his administration as dangerously compromised.
Sources: Washington Post, Polskie Radio, Suspilne, Reuters
Caption: Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó received the Order of Friendship of Russia from Sergey Lavrov in 2021. (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation)
Updated: March 23, 2026 - 06:00
