Russia has moved from threats of retaliation to concrete measures in the diplomatic conflict with Hungary. Moscow announced on Thursday, October 1, that a group of employees from the Hungarian Embassy in the Russian capital and the general consulates in Saint Petersburg and Kazan must leave the country within two weeks.
The decision comes after Hungary expelled, in September, 10 Russian diplomats. In response, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Hungarian Chargé d’Affaires in Moscow, Gabor Gergics, to whom it conveyed a protest against the decision of the authorities in Budapest.
According to Moscow, Hungary’s measure was “unfounded” and “openly hostile”. The Russian Foreign Ministry conveyed that the expulsion of Hungarian diplomats represents a retaliatory measure.
“On October 1, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Hungarian Charge d’Affaires in the Russian Federation, Gabor Gergics,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement quoted by Interfax.
The Hungarian diplomat was handed a “vehement protest” against what Moscow described as an “unfounded request” and “openly hostile” action by the Hungarian authorities on September 8, which forced several Russian diplomatic employees to leave Hungary.
“The Hungarian diplomat was informed that, as a retaliatory measure, a group of employees of the Hungarian Embassy in Moscow and the Hungarian General Consulates in Saint Petersburg and Kazan must leave the territory of the Russian Federation within two weeks,” further specifies the statement issued by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
How did the diplomatic conflict begin
The diplomatic conflict began on September 8, when Budapest announced that 10 members of the Russian diplomatic mission must leave Hungary. Hungarian authorities stated that they had engaged in activities incompatible with their diplomatic status and the provisions of the Vienna Convention.
As Budapest has not publicly provided details about the specific activities for which the 10 diplomats were expelled, the international press and experts in diplomatic relations have interpreted the wording used by the Hungarian authorities as a reference to intelligence activities.
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