According to Reuters report on October 1st local time, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that as retaliation, Russia would expel a unspecified number of Hungarian diplomats. Previously, Hungary expelled 10 Russian diplomats last month.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said: "As a retaliatory measure, a group of Hungarian diplomats at the embassy in Moscow and staff at the Hungarian consulate in Saint Petersburg and Krasnaya Sloboda must leave the territory of the Russian Federation within two weeks."
Hungary's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a statement that it has been informed of Russia's decision, and added: "Hungary has no intention of escalating diplomatic tensions."
Bloomberg previously reported that the government led by Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar decided to expel Russian diplomats last month, marking a significant change in policy compared to former Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Orban had close relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and these relations continued even after the outbreak of the Russo-Ukrainian conflict.
In the past, Öhrbom was often criticized by some people, who argued that his government had an “overly lenient attitude toward Russia” and allowed Hungary to become a base for Russian “spionage activities” within the EU and NATO. Currently, the Russian Embassy in Hungary remains one of the largest embassies in Central and Eastern Europe.
