Leaked recordings reveal Hungarian FM Péter Szijjártó's cooperation with Russia to undermine EU sanctions

In late August 2024, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó engaged in covert communications with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov immediately after returning from Russia. Leaked investigative journalist recordings demonstrate Szijjártó's active role in assisting Russia to remove key figures like Gulbahor Ismailova, sister of oligarch Alisher Usmanov, from the EU sanctions list. Szijjártó described detailed closed-door EU Foreign Affairs Council discussions, revealing sensitive information to Moscow. EU diplomats and intelligence officers assess these interactions resemble agent-handler relationships. Hungary, often alongside Slovakia, regularly blocks or dilutes EU sanctions against Russia by political means, leveraging the EU’s unanimity rule on sanctions extensions. Hungarian officials claim sanctions harm EU more than Russia and refuse to sanction individuals or companies critical for energy security and peace efforts. This activity exposes Hungary's role as a Kremlin-aligned actor weakening EU unity and political sanctions efforts through insider information leaks and strategic lobbying.