The recent leaks cover conversations from 2023 to 2025, alleging ongoing coordination between Budapest and Moscow on Ukraine war issues and EU sanctions against Russia.

The recordings, reportedly made by unnamed European intelligence services and shared with journalists, lend weight to claims that Szijjártó passes confidential EU documents to Lavrov.

In a December 2023 call, Szijjártó agreed to share a framework document on Ukraine’s EU accession—though that document had already been public by then.

The calls also indicate planning ahead of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s July 2024 meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Szijjártó asked if Putin would host Orbán anywhere in Russia, noting the Hungarian leader’s full flexibility and highlighting the meeting’s added importance during Hungary’s EU presidency rotation.

That visit formed part of Orbán’s so-called peace mission, which took him to Kyiv, Moscow, Beijing, Washington, DC, and Mar-a-Lago to engage all Ukraine war stakeholders and explore negotiation paths.

EU leaders and officials reacted with strong criticism, accusing Hungary of overstepping as the unauthorized “head” of the EU.

In a 2025 call, Szijjártó reportedly dismissed the European Commission’s Russian energy phase-out plans as a “stupid idiot proposal” and asked Moscow for help preserving gas import payment systems. The discussions also covered minority rights in Ukraine, a key factor in Budapest’s blockage of Kyiv’s EU membership bid.

EU officials quoted in the report expressed sharp dismay. One senior figure called it “wild” that Szijjártó seemed to “beg for an invitation for Orbán to Moscow,” labeling the conduct “very embarrassing” and suggesting Hungary was “deceiving the European Union.”

Another official said it “makes me want to vomit” to witness coordination with “the aggressor” on pressuring Ukraine, while describing Szijjártó’s actions as “disloyal” and “very embarrassing.”

Szijjártó addressed the leaks on social media, calling them “unusually crude and overt interference by foreign intelligence services” ahead of Hungary’s elections. He maintained that the contents offer no “revelations” but simply restate Hungary’s public stances on Ukraine, Russian energy, and EU sanctions.

He further accused Hungarian journalist Szabolcs Panyi — one of the report’s authors—of working with foreign intelligence to sway the election outcome.

Hungary’s Ministry of Justice recently filed a criminal complaint against Panyi for suspected espionage, tied to another leaked audio where he discussed contacts with an unnamed foreign intelligence service.

The same outlets released earlier recordings last week, in which Szijjártó and Lavrov discussed removing sanctioned Russians — including relatives of oligarch Alisher Usmanov — from the EU sanctions list. Szijjártó sought Moscow’s advice on justifying Hungary’s objections, while coordinating with Slovakia.

Just a day before these latest leaks, Bloomberg published transcripts of an October 2025 Orbán-Putin call.

That discussion occurred as Budapest was floated as a potential venue for a Putin-Trump meeting. Bloomberg reported Orbán telling Putin he stood ready to assist “in any matter.”

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