Hungary expels 10 Russian diplomats, Moscow angry
Anita Orbán, Hungary's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs. File photo: Reuters
Hungary, a long-time European ally, has ordered 10 Russian diplomats to leave the country. Budapest has accused them of engaging in "unacceptable" activities, stating that these actions are not consistent with their diplomatic status.
Hungary's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Anita Orbán, said on Tuesday (local time) that the decision was made to "protect the country's security and sovereignty." However, she clarified that this does not mean severing diplomatic relations with Russia.
Russia has threatened a harsh response to Hungary's decision. Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, told the state-run news agency TASS that Moscow's reaction would be "tough and painful."
Even after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Hungary remained among a handful of EU countries that maintained close ties with Moscow. Relations between Hungary and Russia were quite warm during the previous government.
Former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán left office last April after losing the election, having previously been in power for 16 years. Last year, during a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Viktor Orbán was heard saying, "I am at your service," which later surfaced in the news.
He is not related to Hungary's current Deputy Prime Minister, Anita Orbán. Currently, the left-wing opposition to Viktor Orbán is in power.
European Union spokesperson Krisztián Wigand told journalists that Hungary had taken a "legitimate decision," adding that the EU would continue to "coordinate closely" on the situation.
Following Russia's full-scale war in Ukraine, many EU member states expelled Russian diplomats. However, until now, Hungary was not among them. This is the first time Budapest has ordered Russian diplomats to leave the country.
