The EU’s High Representative Kaja Kallas discussed the importance of confidentiality with Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó amid reports of leaked conversations with Russian officials.
Leaked Conversations Between Hungarian and Russian Officials
Transcripts and audio recordings of conversations between Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, along with other Russian officials, were obtained by a consortium of investigative agencies including VSquare, FRONTSTORY, Delfi Estonia, The Insider, and the Jan Kuciak Investigative Centre (ICJK).
Media reports previously revealed that Szijjártó regularly called Russian counterparts during breaks in EU meetings to provide Lavrov with live updates on ongoing discussions.
EU Response to Alleged Leaks
European Commission spokesperson Anitta Hipper stated on March 31st that sanctions are imposed unanimously and are not the concern of a single country.
The EU’s High Representative Kaja Kallas spoke with Szijjártó earlier this week, reminding him of the importance of confidentiality in closed-door discussions, but also emphasizing that internal deliberations should not be disclosed to third parties.
Reported Request to Lift Sanctions
During a conversation on August 30, 2024, shortly after Szijjártó’s visit to St. Petersburg, Lavrov stated that Szijjártó was being widely quoted in Russian media. Szijjártó asked if he had said anything wrong, to which Lavrov responded that he was only being portrayed as pragmatically pursuing his country’s interests.
Lavrov then requested Szijjártó’s assistance in removing Gulbahor Ismailova, the sister of oligarch Alisher Usmanov, from the EU sanctions list. Szijjártó pledged to help, stating that Hungary and Slovakia would jointly submit a request to the EU for her removal, and would make every effort to achieve it.
Criticism of the EU and Continued Dialogue
Following agreement on the main topic of conversation, the politicians focused on criticizing the European Union and its leaders. Szijjártó concluded the conversation by offering his continued availability to Lavrov.
Seven months later, Ismailova was removed from the sanctions list.