Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha expressed his views at a press conference on March 31 regarding the publication of materials containing recordings of conversations between the heads of the foreign ministries of Russia and Hungary. According to him, such actions deserve condemnation and should be the subject of a thorough investigation.
This is reported by Kyiv24
The Leak of Negotiations as a Threat to European Discussions
“For me, this is not just conversation; it is obsequious reporting to Russian patrons. It is disgusting, it is shameful, and it truly deserves to be investigated.”
Sybiha emphasized that the profession of a diplomat requires high caution in communication, especially in challenging political conditions. He noted that Ukrainian representatives in negotiations with the Hungarian side always demonstrate heightened diplomacy, understanding the sensitivity of the situation.
The minister paid special attention to the potential danger posed by the content of the published conversations. In his opinion, this could affect trust in internal discussions within the European Union, particularly in closed forums where Ukraine is often present to inform partners about the current situation.
EU Reaction and Investigation Details
The EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, emphasized in her comments that European ministers must act in the interests of the EU, not Russia. According to data released by investigators, the discussions involve a transcript of a dialogue between Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that took place in August 2024. During this conversation, Szijjarto agreed to facilitate the removal from the EU sanctions list of the sister of Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov. Seven months later, Gulbahor Ismailova was removed from the EU sanctions lists.
It is known that transcripts and audio recordings of conversations between Lavrov and Szijjarto, as well as other Russian officials, were obtained and confirmed by an international consortium of investigators, which included VSquare, FRONTSTORY, Delfi Estonia, The Insider, and the Jan Kuciak Investigative Center (ICJK).
In response to the leak publication, Hungarian Minister Szijjarto stated that the recordings contain only what he has repeatedly stated publicly and expressed the opinion that the EU’s sanctions policy is ineffective, which, according to him, harms the European Union more than it does Russia.