Hungary's Foreign Minister Leaks Intercepted Call to Moscow Urging Aid
Hungarian foreign minister Péter Szijjártó reportedly intercepted a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin in which he requested assistance from the Kremlin before Slovakia held its parliamentary elections on March 26. In leaked transcripts, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade György Karády stated that Prime Minister Viktor Orbán asked him to make this request due to what was described as "quite a big" appeal regarding Slovak politics ahead of Sunday's vote in Bratislava.
Key Points
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1Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjórtó reportedly asked Russian President Vladimir Putin for assistance regarding the upcoming Slovak elections.
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2The leaked transcript indicates that Hungary's coalition government is facing a significant challenge and needs support to remain in power before Slovakia votes on February 29th.
Developments
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó called Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in February 2024 to request intervention ensuring that Viktor Orbán's government could continue after Slovakia. The call, recorded by an unnamed European national security service and transcribed later as reported by journalist Šabolics Panyi, included a plea for the Social Democrats' victory while expressing concern over opposition funding linked to George Soros.