Hungary on Tuesday ordered 10 members of Russia’s diplomatic mission to leave the country for engaging in “unacceptable” activities for diplomats under the Vienna Convention, officials in Budapest said.
Foreign Minister Anita Orban said the Russian ambassador had been informed of the decision.
“This decision protects Hungary’s security and sovereignty,” she said on X.
Ms. Orban didn’t provide details about the activities that triggered the expulsion. But the move marks a sharp departure from the generally pro-Russian policies of former Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
The foreign minister and Mr. Orban are not related.
Officials in Moscow denounced the move by Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar’s government, which has been in office since May.
“The response to the Russophobic lobby in Budapest will be harsh and painful,” Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told TASS, the Russian news agency.
Expelling the Russian diplomats doesn’t mean Budapest is breaking off relations with Moscow, Ms. Orban said.
“Hungary intends to continue the necessary dialogue, based on mutual respect and adherence to the rules,” she said on X.
Hungary was widely considered Moscow’s closest ally within NATO and the European Union during Mr. Orban’s 16-year tenure as prime minister. He opposed or delayed EU sanctions against the Kremlin and expanded energy deals with Russia. Mr. Magyar pledged to pivot back to a more mainstream alignment with NATO and the EU following Mr. Orban’s defeat in the April election.
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