Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó announced the expulsion of two Ukrainian diplomats, who, according to the minister, worked as spies in Budapest.
The move follows an announcement on Friday, May 9th, by the Ukrainian security service (SBU) claiming that it had detained two alleged spies SBU said were working for Hungary.
According to Szijjártó, the reason for the latest smear campaign launched against Hungarians is
exactly the same as the previous ones. We Hungarians want peace, we say no to war, we have never supplied weapons to Ukraine, and we have not and will allow for Hungary to be dragged into this war.
Hungary has been the only EU member state since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 to reject sending military aid, and has instead sought to promote a pro-peace stance and a ceasefire to end the war—a stance unwelcome by Kyiv.
Hungary issued a warning earlier this year that Ukraine was launching a smear campaign against Viktor Orbán, “with the stated aim of undermining the prime minister’s international image and Hungary’s ability to defend its interests.”
In retaliation for the most recent smear campaign, the foreign minister said that Hungary has “expelled two spies working under diplomatic cover at the Ukrainian embassy” in Budapest.
