Leaked Phone Call Reveals Hungarian and Slovak Pledge to Help Russians Evade EU Sanctions
A leaked phone call revealed that Hungarian Foreign Affairs Minister Péter Szijjártó told Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov that Budapest and Bratislava would help Russians get off the EU sanctions list. The conversation, reported by Euobserver on March 31, 2026, indicates coordination between the governments of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico to assist Russian oligarchs targeted by European Union measures.
The Leaked Conversation
In the conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Hungarian Foreign Affairs Minister Péter Szijjártó stated that "Budapest and Bratislava would help Russians get off the EU sanctions list." The report, based on the leaked call, provides direct evidence of ministerial-level discussions aimed at undermining the EU's unified sanctions regime against Russia.
Additional Diplomatic Lobbying
The reporting also notes that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan lobbied Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico in a letter on behalf of a Russian oligarch. This detail points to external diplomatic pressure being applied to a member state government regarding the sanctions list.