Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar confirmed that the ties of former Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó with Russia are being examined. The case includes classified documents and materials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Telex reported this.
During a briefing after a government meeting, Péter Magyar was asked whether an investigation had been launched into Szijjártó over his contacts with Russians. He replied that the review was ongoing and that the public would be informed when there was information ready to be disclosed.
Even before the election, in March 2026, Magyar said that Szijjártó was cooperating with the Russians and betraying Hungarian and European interests. At the time, he promised that a government led by the Tisza party would investigate the case after coming to power.
Magyar’s latest statement was the first official confirmation that Szijjártó’s ties with Russia are being examined. At the same time, the prime minister declined to discuss the progress of the case, explaining that he did not want to prejudge its outcome.
“There are classified documents here, documents from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other documents, so when we have something to report, we will say so,” Magyar said.
According to leaked phone calls, on June 24, 2023, Szijjártó called Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov several hours after the Wagner Group, led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, launched a mutiny against Russia’s military leadership.
Previously released audio recordings and transcripts indicate that, at the request and under the direction of Lavrov and other Russian officials, Szijjártó sought the removal of Russian citizens, banks and companies from the European Union’s sanctions list. Another recording indicates that Lavrov also asked the Hungarian foreign minister to help obtain EU documents.
After the fall of Viktor Orbán’s government, Szijjártó denied that the Russians might have compromising material on him or Orbán. He also said that they had never acted in Russia’s interests and described accusations of treason as very serious.
According to Szijjártó, at every meeting of foreign ministers he explained what he had discussed with Lavrov, how the Russian side assessed various issues and what it was interested in. He also maintains that he never passed any classified information to Russia.
In May, Magyar said that the scale of possible Russian influence on this year’s election had not yet been established, but that the issue would be investigated. According to him, one intelligence chief who had served under the Orbán government did not confirm interference on the scale feared by Tisza supporters, although other sources had provided different information that Hungarian intelligence services must examine.
