Situation Around Hungary's Expulsion of Ten Russian Diplomats

Russia’s "response to the Russophobic lobby in Budapest will be harsh and painful," Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said

© Alexander Ryumin/TASS

MOSCOW, September 8. /TASS/. The Hungarian government is expelling ten employees of the Russian embassy in Budapest, deeming their activities incompatible with diplomatic status, Foreign Minister Anita Orban wrote on X.

TASS has summed what is known about Hungary’s decision.

Hungarian foreign minister’s statement

The Hungarian government is expelling ten employees of the Russian embassy in Budapest, deeming their activities incompatible with diplomatic status, Orban stated.

In her words, this decision "serves to protect the security and sovereignty of Hungary."

It does not mean diplomatic relations with Russia are being severed, she added.

Hungary intends to continue the necessary dialogue based on the principles of mutual respect and adherence to established rules, she pledged.

Russia’s reaction

Russia will respond in a way it sees fit to the expulsion of its diplomats, the Russian Foreign Ministry has told TASS.

Russia’s "response to the Russophobic lobby in Budapest will be harsh and painful," Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told TASS.

Hungary’s decision may entail a reduction in joint economic projects with Russia, Alexey Chepa, first deputy chairman of the international committee of the Russian State Duma, or lower house of parliament, told TASS.

Moscow’s response will inevitably follow, he stressed.

According to Chepa, this situation "will not be in the interests of the Hungarian people."