Leaked recordings released on Wednesday suggest that Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó offered to send a document to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov concerning Ukraine's European Union accession. The audio, published by a consortium including VSquare.org, indicates a friendly rapport between the two officials.
The clips are part of a broader series of leaks that allege Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's government has at times acted to advance Russian interests and undermine EU initiatives to aid Ukraine. One recording reportedly captures Szijjártó telling Lavrov, "I will send it to you. It's not a problem," following a request about minority languages in EU accession discussions.
Szijjártó has previously condemned the alleged wiretaps as a "huge scandal," and Orban has launched an investigation. The leaks arrive just days before a parliamentary election in which Orbán faces a pro-EU challenger who could pivot Hungary away from Moscow.