Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk sharply criticized Hungary’s Foreign Minister for allegedly informing Moscow about confidential EU discussions.
“A Disgrace”
Following reports that Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó was passing information to Russia from EU meetings, Prime Minister Tusk stated, “The Foreign Minister of Hungary confirmed that he systematically informed Moscow about what EU leaders discussed behind closed doors. What a disgrace.”
“Completely Natural” Contacts
Reuters and Euronews reported that Szijjártó initially dismissed the allegations as “fake news.” However, in a recording released by a Hungarian government spokesperson, he later admitted to consulting with countries outside the EU – including Russia, the United States, Turkey, and Israel – before or after EU Foreign Ministers’ meetings, describing it as “completely natural.”
Hungarian Foreign Ministry Contacts
The matter originated from a weekend report in “The Washington Post,” alleging that Szijjártó regularly called Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during breaks at EU meetings to provide “live” updates on the discussions. Reuters indicated that European security officials cited these reports. The allegations prompted a response from EU institutions, with the European Commission deeming the information “very worrying” and requesting clarification from Budapest.
Euronews also reported that the EU Council is examining whether Szijjártó may have violated existing rules.
Tusk on Earlier Concerns
On Tuesday, the Prime Minister also stated that suspicions regarding Hungary had surfaced previously. Reuters reported that Tusk indicated that information about potential leaks to Moscow had been arriving “from various places for a long time.”
He added that Lithuania had, as early as 2019, requested the exclusion of the Hungarian delegation from a NATO meeting due to concerns about information security.
