France has accused Hungary of a “betrayal of solidarity” after the leak of a call in which Hungary’s foreign minister, Péter Szijjártó, appeared to offer to share documents concerning Ukrainian EU accession with Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov.
The criticism came from France’s foreign minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, who condemned the conversation as tensions continued to build between Budapest and other European capitals over Hungary’s stance on Russia and Ukraine.
Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán, meanwhile rejected suggestions that his government was too close to Moscow. Speaking at a rally, Orbán said: “it was not the Russians, but the US vice-president who visited Hungary” this week to endorse him.
In a clip from the rally published by Orbán’s international spokesperson, Zoltán Kovács, the Hungarian leader insisted that his country remains part of the west. He also said Hungary is “hurt by what we see is happening to western Europe.”
The episode adds to long-running friction between Hungary and its EU partners, particularly over the war in Ukraine and the question of Ukrainian membership of the European Union. The leaked exchange has drawn fresh scrutiny because it appeared to show a willingness to discuss sensitive accession documents with Moscow.
Orbán has repeatedly positioned himself as a defender of Hungary’s sovereignty and a critic of the direction of western European politics. His comments on Friday were intended to push back against accusations that his government is aligned too closely with Russia, even as he remains a frequent outlier within the EU on sanctions and aid for Ukraine.
The dispute comes against a wider backdrop of diplomatic tensions in Europe, where leaders remain divided over how to handle Russia, support for Kyiv, and the future of EU enlargement. Hungary’s role has often been contentious because of Orbán’s close political ties with Moscow and his government’s resistance to some common EU positions.
France’s rebuke signals that the leaked call is being taken seriously in Paris and beyond. For EU leaders, any suggestion that one member state might share internal documents about Ukraine’s accession process with Russian officials raises questions about trust and solidarity inside the bloc.
At the same time, Orbán’s remarks reflect his effort to frame Hungary as independent rather than isolated. By highlighting the visit of the US vice-president, he sought to counter the image of Budapest as drifting toward Russia and to underline that Hungary still maintains ties with western allies.
The controversy is likely to intensify scrutiny of Hungary’s diplomatic balancing act as the EU continues to wrestle with the war in Ukraine and the political implications of enlargement.
