Few European foreign ministers have cultivated as close (and as conspicuously cordial) a relationship with Russia’s top diplomats in recent years as Hungary’s Péter Szijjártó has with Sergei Lavrov. While the public façade suggested a partnership of equals, audio recordings leaked before and after Hungary’s elections have often painted a different picture, one in which Szijjártó appeared to defer to his Russian counterpart. Following earlier disclosures of unusually toned exchanges, a fresh recording has now emerged from the days of the Wagner mutiny.
Wagner coup against Putin
As is well known, exactly three years ago Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Russia’s Wagner private military company, abruptly launched a march on Moscow in what appeared to be an attempt to settle grievances. On 23 June, his forces seized Rostov and then Voronezh, only to halt some 200 kilometres from the capital. According to reports, he subsequently struck a deal with Vladimir Putin before departing for Belarus. Two months later, on 23 August, his private jet was shot down.
On 23 and 24 June, Russia was gripped by considerable chaos. Reports suggested that both President Putin and his prime minister had left the capital; Moscow’s defences were reinforced, counter-terrorism measures introduced, and military units placed on a war footing.
It was on 24 June that Szijjártó telephoned Lavrov. A transcript of the call was obtained by a consortium of investigative outlets (VSquare, Poland’s FRONTSTORY, Russia’s The Insider, Estonia’s Delfi, and the Ján Kuciak Investigative Centre in Slovakia) as part of the “Kremlin Hotline” project.
“If you ever need anything personally”
The conversation itself was relatively brief. Szijjártó enquired about the situation; Lavrov deflected, insisting that everything was under control, that troops understood their duties, and that the president had already said all that needed to be said about the rebellion. Yet the most striking moment came not in these assurances, but in Szijjártó’s offer: “If you ever need anything personally, just let me know.”
Check out the full conversation on Szabolcs Panyi’s Substack.
What precisely the Hungarian foreign minister, whose government has previously granted refuge to controversial, and in some cases ousted, Balkan and Polish figures, intended by this remark may never be fully clarified. Lavrov, however, appeared to brush it aside, reportedly responding with a hint of amusement and indicating that he required nothing.
Have you read this one? Hungarian FM Anita Orbán says documents were shredded by Szijjártó’s team before handover
Szijjártó’s assymetric relationship with Lavrov
The asymmetry in the Szijjártó–Lavrov relationship had already been suggested by several leaked recordings published ahead of Hungary’s elections, all brought to light by investigative journalist Szabolcs Panyi.
Those exchanges pointed to a dynamic in which Szijjártó may have repeatedly taken a subordinate role. The recordings referenced not only the publicly visible alignment between Budapest and Moscow, such as on EU sanctions, but also cooperation in areas including support for Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, the promotion of Russian energy interests, assistance to Russian oligarchs, and other sensitive matters. Any reciprocal benefits on the Russian side, if they existed, have yet to be comprehensively uncovered by either the Hungarian or the international press.
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