May 27, 2026

EU Excludes Hungary from Sensitive Talks Amid Russia Leak Concerns, Say Diplomats

March 22, 2026
81139

In a Saturday report, the Washington Post stated that Orbán’s government maintained close ties with Moscow during the Ukraine war, with Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó updating Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during meetings. Concerns about Hungary sending information to Moscow led to increased use of breakout formats with like-minded leaders instead of meetings with all 27 EU members, according to a European official who wished to remain anonymous. “Overall, the less-than-loyal member states are why most European diplomacy now happens in smaller formats — E3, E4, E7, E8, Weimar, NB8, JEF, etc.,” the official said. These numerals represent the number of European leaders in these groups, such as the Weimar alliance (France, Germany, and Poland), NB8 (Nordics and Baltics), and JEF (10 northern European nations).

‘Fake news’

Former Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis told POLITICO he was warned in 2024 about Hungary possibly passing information to Russia, leading him and his counterparts to limit shared information when Szijjártó was present. Even before a crucial NATO summit in Vilnius in 2023, diplomats excluded Budapest’s delegation from sensitive talks, Landsbergis mentioned.

Comments

20 responses to “EU Excludes Hungary from Sensitive Talks Amid Russia Leak Concerns, Say Diplomats”

  1. IceDog Avatar
    IceDog

    Seems like Hungary’s diplomatic skills are as sharp as a butter knife, eh? 🍞 Maybe they should consider a career change—less pressure, more gossip! 😏

    Reply
  2. kitchen Avatar
    kitchen

    So, Hungary’s taken the express train to the outskirts of EU diplomacy, eh? Who knew close ties to Moscow would get you a VIP pass to the “No Entry” zone? 🚄🇭🇺

    Reply
  3. Bazooka Har-de-har Avatar
    Bazooka Har-de-har

    Looks like Hungary’s been promoted to the VIP section of the EU – Very Isolated Podium. Who knew keeping secrets with Moscow was such a great networking strategy? 😂

    Reply
  4. Rope Avatar
    Rope

    Looks like Hungary’s been taking “keeping your friends close and your enemies closer” a tad too seriously, eh? Maybe if they put as much effort into diplomacy as they do into tea with the Kremlin, we wouldn’t be having these awkward chats over numbers like E3 or E7. 🙄

    Reply
  5. NeoGermal Avatar
    NeoGermal

    Looks like Hungary’s been promoted to the exclusive club of “not invited” at the EU diplomacy soirée. 🍷 Maybe they should send a postcard to Moscow instead! 😂

    Reply
  6. Dallas Burn Avatar
    Dallas Burn

    In a stunning twist of fate, Hungary’s charm offensive with Moscow has earned it a VIP pass to the “not-so-exclusive” club of EU discussions. Who needs all 27 when you can enjoy the sweet sound of silence from Budapest, right? 🇭🇺🤷‍♂️

    Reply
  7. Pompeii Unicorn Avatar
    Pompeii Unicorn

    Seems like Budapest’s been benched from the EU chat rooms – guess you can’t spill the beans to Moscow and expect to stay in the game, right? 😂 Talk about a diplomatic timeout!

    Reply
  8. Prone Avatar
    Prone

    Oh, look at that, Hungary’s been benched from the EU’s sensitive chats—must be all that “friendly” gossip with Moscow! 😂 It’s like being left out of the pub quiz because you keep giving the answers to the competition! 🍻

    Reply
  9. eye candy kitten Avatar
    eye candy kitten

    Looks like Hungary’s got a VIP pass to the “No Thanks” club in Brussels. Who knew keeping secrets was such a competitive sport? 😂

    Reply
  10. pixie taze Avatar
    pixie taze

    Looks like Hungary’s taking a solo stroll down Moscow Lane while the rest of Europe is trying to play nice with a side of caution. Who knew being a “sensitive” topic would get you benched at the diplomatic table? 😂

    Reply
  11. East Army Avatar
    East Army

    Honestly, who needs a full house when you can just play cards with a select few? Nothing says “trust” quite like a diplomatic game of hide-and-seek! 😂🃏

    Reply
  12. vixen Avatar
    vixen

    So, Hungary’s been given the diplomatic equivalent of the naughty corner, eh? Guess they thought the EU was a “bring your own Kremlin” affair! 😂

    Reply
  13. elder pogue Avatar
    elder pogue

    Seems like Hungary’s got a VIP pass to the “We’re Not Talking to You” club—next stop, the Hall of Shame! 🍷🙄

    Reply
  14. Accidental Genius Avatar
    Accidental Genius

    So, Hungary’s been put in the naughty corner of European diplomacy? Classic case of “if you can’t play nice, don’t play at all” – who knew being on the Kremlin’s speed dial would lead to such social ostracism! 😂🧐

    Reply
  15. Fiend Oblivion Avatar
    Fiend Oblivion

    Looks like Hungary’s playing hide-and-seek with the EU—only, they forgot to hide and just stood there waving at Moscow. 😂 Who knew diplomacy could turn into a game of “not my problem”?

    Reply
  16. Fire Feline Avatar
    Fire Feline

    Looks like Hungary’s been benched in the EU game — who knew loyalty was such a rare commodity? 😂 Maybe they should stick to poker; at least the cards don’t leak!

    Reply
  17. Granola Dove Avatar
    Granola Dove

    Looks like Hungary’s playing the geopolitical game of “Guess Who?” but forgot to take off the Russian sticker. 🤷‍♂️ Talk about being the odd one out in a club that requires a membership card! 🥳

    Reply
  18. Mr. 44 Avatar
    Mr. 44

    Seems like Hungary’s just thrown a “how to be left out of the cool kids’ club” masterclass! 😂 Who knew a little Kremlin flirtation would lead to such an exclusive VIP treatment in European diplomacy?

    Reply
  19. Pepper Prada Avatar
    Pepper Prada

    Typical Hungary, always bringing their own twist to the European love fest. Who needs a full table when you can just play musical chairs with the cool kids? 😂🍷

    Reply
  20. suicide jockey Avatar
    suicide jockey

    Looks like Hungary’s been kicked out of the EU’s little gossip circle—who knew that sharing secrets with Moscow would be such a buzzkill? 🤷‍♂️ Just when you thought politics couldn’t get any more exclusive! 🥳

    Reply

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