Hungary expels 10 Russian diplomats as Moscow vows response
Hungary has ordered 10 Russian diplomats to leave the country, accusing them of activities it described as unacceptable and incompatible with diplomatic status. The move marks a sharp escalation in relations between Budapest and Moscow, even as Hungary said it was not breaking off diplomatic ties with Russia. Russia responded by promising what it called a harsh and painful reaction.
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Anita Orban, Hungary's deputy prime minister and foreign minister, said the decision was taken to protect Hungary's security and sovereignty. She said the expulsion did not amount to a severing of diplomatic relations. Maria Zakharova, the spokeswoman for Russia's Foreign Ministry, said Moscow would respond harshly, according to remarks relayed to the Russian state news agency.
The decision is notable because Hungary has been one of the more Russia-friendly governments in the European Union since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Many EU member states expelled Russian diplomats after the war began, but Hungary had not done so until now. The latest step therefore places Budapest closer to the broader European pattern of pressure on Moscow, while still stopping short of a full diplomatic rupture.
The row also reflects the wider strain in EU-Russia relations that has deepened since the invasion of Ukraine. Hungary's previous government maintained warm ties with Moscow, and the country has often been seen as an outlier within the bloc on Russia policy. The current move suggests that security concerns are now outweighing the political caution that had previously shaped Hungary's approach.
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The background to the dispute includes Hungary's long and often pragmatic relationship with Russia, which has survived repeated tensions inside the European Union. The supplied material also notes that former Prime Minister Viktor Orban once told President Vladimir Putin, during a phone call last year, that he was "at your service". That detail underlines how unusual the current expulsion is in the context of Hungary's recent diplomacy.
It remains unclear what specific activities prompted the expulsions and whether Russia will announce immediate countermeasures. The scale and timing of Moscow's response will be closely watched, as will any further statements from Hungarian officials or EU institutions. For now, the case adds another point of friction to an already strained relationship between Russia and a member state that had previously resisted such steps.
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