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Hungary spied on EU officials, new investigation reveals
Hungary's intelligence services are facing accusations of spying on EU officials during visits to the country between 2015 and 2017, investigative news site Direkt36 reports. According to the crossborder investigation, Hungarian agents allegedly searched hotel rooms, tapped phone calls, and monitored the movements of EU officials.
According to the article, Hungary's Information Office (IH) targeted investigators from the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF). Among the officials were those examining allegations linked to a company owned by István Tiborcz, the son-in-law of Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
The investigation reveals that the Hungarian operation included physical surveillance and the interception of phone communications. It also claims that the IH routinely accessed hotel rooms of visiting EU delegations to extract information from their private laptops and other devices.
Peskov: Kremlin supports Orban's ceasefire proposal
Viktor Orbán proposed a large-scale prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine and a Christmas ceasefire, and Moscow supports his efforts, Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists.
"In a telephone conversation with President Vladimir Puti, the Hungarian prime minister proposed a large-scale prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine on Christmas Eve and a Christmas ceasefire," he said.
Peskov said Russia expects peace talks to continue and supports Orban's efforts in this direction. "Russia has never renounced peace agreements and has repeatedly stated that it is ready to resume them on the basis of the Istanbul 2022 agreements," he said. The spokesman also added that the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) had provided the Hungarian embassy in Moscow with a list of prisoners to be exchanged, but Ukraine had rejected the proposals.
Orbán warns of EU budget veto in push for Hungary funds
Hungary's far-right Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has issued a warned that he will block the European Union’s next budget unless frozen funds for Hungary are restored, Bloomberg reports. The funds are withheld due to concerns over corruption and rule-of-law violations.
The European Commission is currently withholding nearly €12 billion in development aid to Hungary, along with €5.8 billion in grants and €4.6 billion in loans under. Budapest has already received €920 million in advance payments, which are not tied to meeting specific milestones. In total, more than €20 billion in EU funds are being held back.
“Hungary will undoubtedly obtain these funds,” Orbán said during his regular interview on pro-government Kossuth Radio. “The funds we don’t receive in 2025 and 2026, we’ll have to receive in 2027 and 2028. If we don’t, the EU won’t have a budget because I won’t agree to it.”
Russian Foreign Ministry's statement reveals that Szijjártó called Lavrov after Orbán-Putin meeting
The Russian Foreign Ministry's statement on Thursday reveals that Sergei Lavrov and Peter Szijjarto had spoken on the phone on Wednesday. The call was initiated by the Hungarian Foreign Minister.
The phone call between the two ministers came shortly after Viktor Orban had held a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Hungarian prime minister also asked about the end of the Russian-Ukrainian war, but Putin rejected the possibility of a peaceful solution to the conflict.
According to Lavrov's statement, Szijjártó informed his Russian counterpart of the fact that Zelensky had rejected the Hungarian government's proposal for a ceasefire and prisoner exchange. Orbán's Facebook post on Wednesday stated that Zelensky had rejected his ceasefire proposal, the Ukrainian president's communications adviser later denied that Orbán had contacted them.