Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó rebuked allegations of Hungary providing Russia with “sensitive” information regarding EU affairs, saying Hungary is a sovereign nation, whose government does not accept guidance or dictates from abroad.
The minister was responding on Monday, October 23rd to questions by reporters on the sidelines of the EU foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg, and was asked about European criticism of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two held talks last week at a meeting for the Belt and Road Initiative in Beijing. This was the first in-person meeting Putin has had with a European leader since meeting with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer in April 2022. Orbán emphasised the necessity of maintaining economic ties with Russia, particularly in energy-related matters, as Hungary is dependent on Russian energy supplies.
The handshake drew ire in many European capitals, and Szijjártó admitted that two of his Baltic colleagues mentioned the matter on Monday. One of them was more subtle, saying that a leader of one of the EU member states had met “a war criminal”. The other, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis specifically asked Szijjártó to make it clear every time he speaks, whether he is giving his own opinion or the Kremlin’s. Szijjártó told reporters,
I reassured my Lithuanian colleague that Hungary is a sovereign country with a sovereign government, and while this government is in office, we will not accept any foreign guidance or dictates.
Politico wrote on Monday that
there’s a deeper fear over Hungary: the country will hold the Council presidency next year and there are concerns that it could share sensitive EU information with Moscow.
The publication also quoted a “senior EU diplomat” saying, “there’s not much we can do about it.”
Szijjártó said anyone who writes or says such “stupidity”, should take a look in the mirror. “Some people may use such meetings to divulge information, others may report to Politico right after a foreign affairs council meeting, but not us,” said the minister.
Hungary is scheduled to hold the rotating Presidency of the European Council in the second half of next year, and the left-liberal majority of the European Parliament approved a resolution in June calling for the European Commission and the EU Council to use their powers to block Hungary from assuming the role, due to Hungary’s alleged rule of law violations. It is very unlikely to happen, as member states wouldn’t likely accept such an unprecedented move.
Reacting to the latest allegations, Hungarian Government spokesman Zoltán Kovács told The European Conservative:
The European Left tries everything to tarnish Hungary. There is only one prime minister in the EU today under whose leadership a rotating presidency has been conducted: Viktor Orbán. In 2011, during similarly “troubled” political circumstances, Hungary gained everyone’s respect after it successfully and safely completed its Council Presidency. We are prepared to do the same again.
On Hungary’s insistence on importing Russian gas, Péter Szijjártó said energy is not a political matter, but a question of security. “We are not willing to risk the security of Hungary’s energy suppplies. Hungarians are not responsible for the war in Ukraine, they should not have to pay the price,” he added.
Russia’s Gazprom will supply extra gas to Hungary through the coming winter, Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller said on Sunday, adding that 1.3 billion cubic metres of gas have already been delivered to Hungary on top of existing contracts this year. Responding to criticism of the deal, Szijjártó stressed that there are no EU sanctions on the import of Russian gas; “everyone can buy gas from wherever they want.”
