According to the Washington Post, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó held 16 meetings with Russian officials since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine and allegedly relayed information from EU meetings to Moscow.
Hungarian Minister’s Contacts with Russia Revealed
The Washington Post cited information from a European security official stating that “Every EU meeting has essentially taken place with Moscow at the table for years.”
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó has made a total of 16 official visits to Russia since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with the most recent occurring on March 4th when he met with Vladimir Putin.
Reactions to the Report
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski commented on the American newspaper’s report on X, writing, “This explains a lot, Peter.”
Szijjártó responded, calling the information “false” and accusing those reporting it of attempting to support the Tisza Party and create a pro-war puppet government in Hungary.
Upcoming Visits and Election Concerns
Polish President Karol Nawrocki will visit Budapest on Monday to meet with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
Concerns have been raised regarding potential Russian interference in the upcoming Hungarian elections.
Alleged Russian Plot to Influence Elections
The Washington Post previously reported that Russian Foreign Intelligence Service officials proposed a plan to “fundamentally change the entire paradigm of the election campaign” in Hungary, involving a potential assassination attempt on Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
This was allegedly intended to help Orbán ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for April 12th.
Russian Bots and Election Observers
The investigative portal VSquare revealed the use of Russian bots to support Viktor Orbán’s campaign. Putin’s translator, Daria Bojarska, will serve as an election observer for the OSCE in Hungary.
Current Polling Data
The Hungarian elections will be held on April 12th. The opposition TISZA party, led by Péter Magyar, currently leads Fidesz, the party of Prime Minister Orbán, in most independent polls.
A March Minerva poll showed 51.3% of respondents intending to vote for Péter Magyar’s party, while 40.1% support Fidesz.
