Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has operated for years as an undisclosed Moscow agent within the European Union, not only blocking decisions unfavorable to Russia but directly receiving orders from Sergey Lavrov and asking Russian officials for instructions on how best to sabotage European sanctions.
As reported by "Hvylya", this was revealed in a joint investigation by The Insider, Frontstory, VSquare, Delfi Estonia, and ICJK.
In late August 2024, Lavrov called Szijjarto with a personal request from Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov, asking Moscow's ally to help lift European sanctions from the billionaire's sister, Gulbakhor Ismailova. Szijjarto immediately agreed, promising that Hungary and Slovakia would submit the corresponding demand, which ultimately led to the restrictions on Ismailova being lifted in the spring of 2025.
During the same conversation, the Hungarian minister leaked classified details of a European diplomats' meeting to Lavrov. Specifically, he complained about Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, who had criticized Europeans for purchasing Russian energy. Landsbergis later confirmed the incident and called Szijjarto a "mole," stating that Hungary should be completely banned from participating in EU and NATO meetings.
Another conversation took place in the summer of 2025 with Russian Deputy Energy Minister Pavel Sorokin. At the time, the European Union was preparing its 18th sanctions package, which was designed to cripple the Russian "shadow fleet," particularly targeting the Dubai-based company 2Rivers.
Szijjarto explicitly asked the Russian official to invent arguments that would help him legally defend the company in Brussels. According to the minister, he needed Moscow to fabricate evidence of direct negative consequences for Hungary to justify blocking the sanctions. During the call, he also boasted that he had already managed to strike 72 out of 128 proposed organizations from the sanctions lists.
Furthermore, Szijjarto promised to review the lists of Russian banks to try and save them from restrictions, similar to his previous successful intervention on behalf of Bank Saint Petersburg.
Despite Budapest's delaying tactics, the European Union eventually managed to adopt the 18th sanctions package in July 2025, successfully blacklisting 2Rivers for helping Russia sell oil while bypassing international restrictions.