Overview
- Szijjártó acknowledged regular calls with Sergei Lavrov around the time of EU meetings after first dismissing the reports as false.
- The European Commission called the claims very worrying and asked Hungary to explain the contacts, stressing that closed EU debates must stay confidential.
- The Washington Post reported live relays of EU discussions to Moscow during meeting breaks, a core allegation not confirmed by public evidence.
- Investigative journalist Szabolcs Panyi said phone numbers used by Szijjártó matched data from a European security service involved in the inquiry.
- The episode has become a campaign issue in Hungary, with opposition parties calling the contacts a possible betrayal and pledging probes before the April 12 vote.