Hungary expelled 10 Russian diplomats on Tuesday, in the clearest break yet with the Moscow-friendly approach followed under former prime minister Viktor Orban. The government said the diplomats had carried out activities incompatible with their status, while Russia threatened a harsh response.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Anita Orban said the diplomats “were engaged in activities in Hungary that are unacceptable for diplomats under the Vienna Convention.” She said the decision “protects Hungary's security and sovereignty.” Hungary did not identify the activities that prompted the expulsions.
The action comes months after Viktor Orban lost power in April, ending 16 years in office. His successor, Peter Magyar, became prime minister in May and has moved Hungary away from the pro-Kremlin stance of the previous administration.
Under Viktor Orban, Hungary was viewed for years as Russia’s closest ally in the European Union. His government maintained close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It continued buying Russian oil and gas and blocked a €90 billion ($97 billion) EU loan to Ukraine.
Hungary had not expelled any Russian diplomats after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 until Tuesday. The country had not publicly removed Russian diplomats since 2018.
Magyar has described his intended relationship with Moscow as “pragmatic”. At the same time, he and his centre-right government have said Hungary’s main alliances are the European Union and NATO.
In a parliamentary hearing in May, the foreign minister said Russia would “remain a partner”, although the relationship could not rest on “one-sided dependency.” That month, she summoned Russia’s ambassador to protest against a drone attack on Ukraine’s Transcarpathia region. Her predecessor had not summoned the ambassador since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
Last month, Magyar issued guidelines stating that Russia’s conduct in Ukraine “poses a threat to Hungary, Europe and the global order, and also puts the Hungarian minority living in Transcarpathia in serious danger.”
Moscow condemned Tuesday’s expulsions. Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for Russia’s Foreign Ministry, told TASS: “The response to the Russophobic lobby in Budapest will be harsh and painful.”
Russia’s ambassador to Budapest, Evgeny Stanislavov, called the move “This extremely unfriendly step is an unprecedented and unjustified escalation on the Hungarian side, and it will receive an appropriate response.” The nature of any Russian response remains unclear.
Anita Orban said the expulsion “does not imply breaking off diplomatic relations with Russia.” The government has indicated that it intends to maintain relations with Moscow while reducing the dependency that shaped Hungary’s policy under Viktor Orban.
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