Leaked audio recordings suggest Hungary may have been assisting Russia in efforts to undermine European Union (EU) sanctions, with purported conversations between Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov discussing ways to challenge the measures.
The recordings, released by Warsaw-based investigative outlet Vsquare.org and said to capture an August 2024 call, surfaced just days before Hungary’s parliamentary elections scheduled for April 12, raising fresh questions about Budapest’s stance within the EU and its ties with Moscow.
In the audio, Lavrov is heard reminding Szijjarto of a promise to help remove the sister of a Russian businessman from the EU sanctions list. Szijjarto reportedly responds that Hungary, along with Slovakia, planned to submit a proposal the following week to delist the individual, adding, “We will do our best in order to get her off.”
Vsquare also reported a separate alleged call in which Szijjarto informed Russia’s Deputy Energy Minister Pavel Sorokin about efforts to roll back EU sanctions targeting Russia’s oil tanker fleet, news agency Reuters reported.
While Szijjarto did not deny that the call with Lavrov took place, he condemned the interception and release of his conversations, calling it a “huge scandal” in a Facebook video and accusing foreign intelligence agencies of leaking the material ahead of the elections.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has ordered an investigation into the alleged wiretapping amid renewed scrutiny of Hungary’s relations with Russia. Orban has maintained close ties with President Vladimir Putin despite the war in Ukraine, while insisting Hungary seeks to stay out of the conflict and safeguard its national interests.
The controversy comes as Orban faces his toughest electoral challenge in 16 years, with the centre-right opposition Tisza party leading in several independent polls. The episode is likely to deepen concerns within the EU that Hungary could be advancing Russian interests from within the bloc, potentially undermining support for Ukraine.
Moscow has not commented on the reports. Slovakia’s Foreign Ministry declined to discuss the details, while Prime Minister Robert Fico noted that removing an individual from the EU sanctions list would require unanimous approval from all 27 member states.
