Hungary expels 10 Russian diplomats
Hungarian Foreign Minister Anita Orbán has taken the unprecedented decision to expel 10 members of staff of the Russian Embassy.
Source: Orbán on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda
Details: Orbán said that 10 members of the Russian diplomatic mission "had engaged in activities in Hungary that are unacceptable for diplomats under the Vienna Convention".
A representative of the Hungarian Foreign Ministry has informed the Russian ambassador in Budapest that the individuals must leave the country.
However, Orbán stressed that the decision does not imply any break in diplomatic relations with Russia.
Quote: "This decision protects Hungary's security and sovereignty. It does not imply breaking off diplomatic relations with Russia. Hungary intends to continue the necessary dialogue, based on mutual respect and adherence to the rules."
Details: The decision is unprecedented in terms of the number of diplomats Hungary is expelling. Viktor Orbán's previous government took a similar step in 2018, when Hungary expelled just one member of the Russian diplomatic mission in solidarity with the UK following the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal on British soil.
Background:
- In 2022, an investigation by Hungarian outlet Direkt36 and the RTL channel found that while most EU countries expelled Russian diplomats following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, in Hungary their number increased by almost a third.
- Earlier, journalists working with European security services established that Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin had tasked a group of political strategists and Russian military intelligence with interfering in Hungary's parliamentary elections in April to ensure Viktor Orbán's victory. The plan involved stationing experts in social media manipulation at the Russian Embassy in Budapest.
- In May, Hungary quietly expelled a Russian intelligence officer who, operating under diplomatic cover, had infiltrated right-wing and foreign policy think tanks close to Viktor Orbán's government.
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