How Szijjártó Coordinated with Russia in Actions Harmful to Ukraine – New Details Released

The European journalistic project Vsquare has released a new investigation revealing the extent to which Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó coordinated with Russia to block Ukraine's path to the European Union and other related actions. This investigation has drawn significant attention due to its implications for European security and diplomatic relations.

According to a report by 'European Truth,' which references material from Vsquare dated April 8, the investigation has uncovered new details of conversations between Szijjártó and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. These conversations confirm that Hungary's 'vetoes' within the EU were coordinated with Russia, raising serious concerns about the integrity of EU decision-making processes.

The recorded conversations span the years 2023 to 2025 and have been authenticated by several investigative journalism projects, including FRONTSTORY, Delfi Estonia, The Insider, and the Jan Kuciak Investigative Center. The authenticity of these recordings adds credibility to the allegations of collusion between Hungary and Russia.

In previous parts of the investigation, it was revealed that Szijjártó, at Lavrov's request, sought to have a relative of Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov removed from the EU sanctions list. This indicates a troubling willingness on the part of Hungary to align its foreign policy with Russian interests, particularly concerning sanctions that are meant to pressure Moscow.

Furthermore, during multiple conversations, Szijjártó provided Lavrov with insights into what European countries were expected to do in terms of pressuring Russia. He consulted with Lavrov on actions that could be taken against Ukraine and the EU, which would ultimately benefit Russia. This kind of information exchange suggests a level of cooperation that undermines EU solidarity.

One significant incident occurred during the European Council summit on December 14, 2023, when leaders were expected to make decisions regarding the opening of negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova. During breaks between meetings, Szijjártó made phone calls to Moscow, detailing Hungary's 'strategy of blackmail.' However, on that occasion, his efforts did not yield the desired results, as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán eventually left the meeting to 'have coffee,' and decisions were made without his input.

On July 2, 2024, when Orbán visited Kyiv, Szijjártó immediately called Lavrov to discuss the content of his conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. They also discussed organizing Orbán's trip to Moscow ahead of the NATO summit in Washington, during which Hungary had just assumed the presidency of the EU Council. These plans were kept secret from both the EU and NATO, which later caused significant outrage among European officials in private comments.

Szijjártó assured Lavrov that Orbán would travel as the leader of the EU presidency, despite Orbán not having received a mandate from the EU for such a visit. European officials distanced themselves from the trip once it became public, highlighting the deceptive nature of Hungary's actions. 'From the conversation, it follows that he went as a representative of the EU Council. It is astonishing how Szijjártó sought an invitation for Orbán to Moscow... Clearly, Hungary was deceiving the EU in this case,' commented an unnamed European official.

The recorded conversations also revealed that Lavrov had a specific request for Szijjártó: he asked for a document outlining the EU's demands to Ukraine regarding minority language rights as part of the accession negotiations. Szijjártó responded that he could send it 'without any problems.' An EU official remarked that it was '99%' likely that this referred to the so-called negotiation framework, and the request seemed odd since the document was already public.

In a conversation on June 17, Szijjártó discussed how Hungary was using obligations regarding minority rights as leverage against Ukraine. Lavrov shifted the conversation toward how this could be framed in the context of 'protecting the rights of Russian speakers,' which could further hinder Ukraine's Euro-integration efforts. Szijjártó assured him that this was a 'universal principle of the Council of Europe, and today it concerns your minority, but tomorrow it could concern ours.'

Additionally, Szijjártó mentioned coordinating with his Slovak counterpart Juraj Blanár regarding the blockage of the 18th package of EU sanctions. This level of coordination raises further questions about Hungary's commitment to EU unity and its willingness to align with Russian interests.

Recently, details of a conversation between Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, which took place in the autumn of 2025, were also leaked. The facts of coordination between Budapest and Moscow have been described as outrageous by European capitals friendly to Ukraine, raising alarms about the potential threats to European security posed by such collusion.