Closing summary
… and on that note, it’s a wrap for today!
The European Commission said it would use “diplomatic channels” to “convey our concerns to our US counterparts” after the US vice-president, JD Vance, repeatedly attacked EU institutions for alleged interference in the Hungarian election campaign (13:08).
Earlier today, Vance spoke at the conservative Mathias Corvinus Collegium in Budapest, repeatedly praising Viktor Orbán ahead of this Sunday’s elections (11:47) and criticising the EU and the UK for their energy policies (11:50).
Vance argued that his “unprecedented” visit was needed to counter “garbage” being told about Orbán and say that “Viktor and his government are doing a good job and they are important partners for peace.”
The US VP also dismissed suggestions that his visit and campaign involvement amounted to the very foreign interference he was criticising in his comments (11:40, 13:39).
Separately, Hungary’s foreign minister appeared to offer to send his Russian counterpart a document about Ukraine’s European Union accession, leaked recordings purported to show, prompting further questions about the Orbán government’s relations with Russia (17:12).
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Hungarian minister appears to offer to send Russia EU document in leaked audio
Meanwhile, Hungary’s foreign minister appeared to offer to send his Russian counterpart a document about Ukraine’s European Union accession, leaked recordings purported to show, in the latest indication of Budapest’s warm relations with Moscow, Reuters reported.
The audio clips released by a consortium of investigative news outlets including VSquare.org were the latest in a series of leaked conversations that purport to show how Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán’s government has worked with Russian officials to undermine EU efforts to aid Ukraine.
“I will send it to you. It’s not a problem,” Hungarian foreign minister Péter Szijjártó says in one conversation, after his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, says Moscow is trying to get a document about the role of minority languages in Ukraine’s EU accession talks.
Reuters was unable to independently verify the authenticity of the audio, but Szijjártó has previously said wiretapping of his phone calls was a “huge scandal” and Orbán has ordered an investigation into it.
The recording comes amid increasing scrutiny of Hungary’s ties with Russia, just days before a key parliamentary election on Sunday.
