DREAM / The Prime Minister resigns and wakes up under the Parisian bridge!

 Kliko këtu për të tjera
Voxpress:

Audio published/ Hungary at the center of the scandal, Foreign Minister offers help to Russia for sanctions!

2026-03-31 15:18:01Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Audio published/ Hungary at the center of the scandal, Foreign Minister offers
Péter Szijjártó/ Sergei Lavrov

A recorded phone conversation between Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó and Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov has sparked intense controversy, as it suggests attempts to help Moscow lift European Union sanctions on a person linked to a Russian oligarch.

The 94-second audio, published by investigative portal The Insider , shows Lavrov asking Szijjártó to intervene to remove Gulbahor Ismailova, the sister of Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov, from the sanctions list.

In response, the Hungarian minister states that he is ready to help and confirms that, together with Slovakia, they are preparing a proposal to the EU for its removal from the sanctions list.

The publication of the conversation comes at a time of increased political pressure on Szijjártó, following a report by the Washington Post that he allegedly shared sensitive information with Russia during EU Foreign Affairs Council meetings in Brussels.

The issue takes on particular importance as Hungary heads towards parliamentary elections on April 12, with foreign influence and the government's relations with Moscow as key issues in the pre-election debate.

The conversation between Szijjártó and Lavrov was recorded on August 30, 2024, by unknown persons, shortly after the Hungarian minister returned to Budapest from St. Petersburg.

In the audio, Szijjártó says he will submit a proposal to remove Ismayilova's name from the sanctions list "next week," noting that "with the start of the new review period, it will be put on the agenda - we will do everything we can to remove it."

Under EU rules, sanctions are renewed every six months by consensus of member states. Ismayilova, along with Russian businessman Vyacheslav Moshe Kantor and Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev, were finally removed from the sanctions list in March 2025.

Szijjarto did not deny it, but downplayed the content of the conversation.

The European Union had severed political relations with Russia after its full invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and has called on member states to gradually reduce their dependence on Russian fossil fuels.

Despite the relevant instructions, Hungary and Slovakia maintain regular high-level contacts with Russian officials and continue to import significant amounts of Russian energy.

After the recording was made public, Szijjártó downplayed the significance of the case and accused foreign intelligence services of monitoring his phone conversations.

"It has long been known that foreign intelligence services with the active participation of Hungarian journalists Péter Szijjártó and Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov are eavesdropping on my phone conversations. Today the eavesdroppers made another big 'discovery': they confirmed that I say the same things in public and on the phone. Good job!" he said in a post.

He argued that the Hungarian government has never agreed to sanctions that could negatively affect the country's energy security, while stating that he opposes imposing sanctions on individuals when they do not serve a clear purpose.

"We will continue to follow this approach in the future," he noted.

The European Commission has stated that complaints about Szijjártó's stance during Foreign Affairs Council meetings are concerning and require clarification from Budapest.

In the same conversation, Lavrov reportedly said that the Hungarian minister was receiving extensive coverage from the Russian media.

"Did I say something wrong?" Szijjarto reportedly asks, with Lavrov responding:

"No. They just say that you really protect the interests of your country."/ The Insider


Në përputhje me standarded JTI

Video

SHIKO KANALIN NE YOUTUBE
×