The European Union has taken the unprecedented step of systematically excluding Hungary from classified briefings and sensitive policy discussions, according to multiple EU diplomats, following allegations that Budapest has been leaking intelligence to Moscow for years.
The extraordinary measure represents a fundamental breach of trust within the 27-member bloc and raises profound questions about Hungary's continued participation in joint security arrangements, including those related to Ukraine aid and NATO intelligence sharing.
"We simply cannot risk sensitive information reaching Russia through Hungarian channels," a senior EU official told reporters on condition of anonymity. "This is not a decision taken lightly, but the pattern of leaks has become impossible to ignore."
According to diplomatic sources speaking to Politico Europe, the exclusion extends to discussions involving military support for Ukraine, sanctions enforcement mechanisms, and intelligence assessments of Russian capabilities. Hungarian diplomats have reportedly been asked to leave meeting rooms before classified portions of briefings commence, a diplomatic humiliation with few modern precedents.
The move follows mounting evidence that Hungary's Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó and other senior officials have maintained unusually close communications with Russian counterparts throughout the war in Ukraine. While Budapest has consistently portrayed these contacts as legitimate diplomatic engagement, EU intelligence services have reportedly identified specific instances where classified information discussed in subsequently appeared in .



