A leaked phone conversation between Hungary’s Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó and his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, has sparked a political controversy, with accusations of betrayal leveled against Szijjártó. The recording, from February 2020, was published Monday, March 23, 2026, and reveals discussions about influencing upcoming elections in Slovakia. The disclosure comes amid heightened scrutiny of Hungary’s relationship with Russia and its potential impact on European Union policy.
According to investigative journalist Szabolcs Panyi, the recording was obtained from the security service of an unnamed European Union member state. The conversation centers on a request from then-Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán for assistance in securing a meeting between Slovak Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini and his Russian counterpart, Mikhail Mishustin.
“I understand that it might sound strange to Hungarian conservatives, but we are hoping for a victory for the Social Democrats, due to the fact that they are the only rational force in Slovak politics that operates without foreign influence. Everyone else is essentially financed by Soros,” Szijjártó reportedly told Lavrov. “This proves likewise important that the Slovak National Party, headed by parliamentary speaker Danko, crosses the five percent threshold. We hope they succeed, but the only chance for the coalition to continue is if the governing party wins the election. Prime Minister Pellegrini was here yesterday and told us that if your prime minister would receive him, even for half an hour, it would greatly help him win the election. He told us that this is much more important for [Slovak] society than a trip to Washington. He asked us to ask you, but we ourselves would also like to ask you, whether it would be possible to arrange for your prime minister to receive the Slovak prime minister sometime in February in Moscow…”
Lavrov’s response was not included in the published transcript, as it is behind a paywall.
Pellegrini did ultimately meet with Mishustin in Moscow on February 26, 2020, just three days before the Slovak election. Reports indicate Pellegrini was ill at the time, with doctors recommending hospitalization, though he denied having coronavirus.
The incident has drawn comparisons to a 1998 trip by then-Slovak Prime Minister Vladimír Mečiar to Moscow, where he received support from Russian President Boris Yeltsin. Pellegrini, however, only received support from Mishustin, who at the time was a relatively unknown figure as the head of the Russian tax service.
During his visit, Pellegrini reportedly stated he was not a supporter of sanctions against Russia. This was prior to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, while Russian forces were involved in a frozen conflict in the Donbas region.
On Monday afternoon, March 23, 2026, Pellegrini, now President of Slovakia, issued a statement declining to comment on who arranged his pre-election trip to Moscow. “The President of the Slovak Republic Peter Pellegrini will not allow himself to be drawn into the pre-election campaign in Hungary and related activities. In 2020, as the then Prime Minister, he participated in a standard political discussion with the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation on the topic of Slovakia’s energy security,” the statement from the Presidential Palace read.
The fourth government of Robert Fico recently passed a law criminalizing foreign interference in Slovak elections, which President Pellegrini has signed into law.
What the transcript reveals: “Anytime, my friend”
The release of the transcript follows a report from The Washington Post last week detailing how Szijjártó has regularly informed Lavrov about negotiations within the European Union.
The development underscores growing concerns about potential Russian influence within the EU and the role of individual member states in relaying information to Moscow. The announcement could influence future diplomatic talks and further strain relations between Hungary and its European partners.
