Moscow’s foreign minister has warned the “Russophobic lobby in Budapest” after diplomats were expelled for “unacceptable” activities.
- Hungary told 10 Russian diplomats “engaged in activities … unacceptable for diplomats under the Vienna Convention” to leave the country, foreign minister Anita Orbán said, prompting a furious reaction from Moscow threatening Budapest with “harsh and painful” response.
- Hungary’s PM Péter Magyar said the decision was taken to “defend our country’s sovereignty”.
- The EU backed Hungary’s decision, saying it was “an expected reaction” in response to “Russia’s persistent campaign in using hybrid attacks against the EU”.
Elsewhere from our News Briefing service,
- US president Donald Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin spoke on the phone, discussing the latest in US-led peace talks after peace envoys Witkoff and Kushner visited Moscow and Kyiv over the weekend.
- A Kremlin aide said the two leaders discussed the state of the Russian aggression on Ukraine, and discussed prospects for a potential broader restoration of US-Russia relations.
- These talks come as Ukraine’s allies met online and urged partners to help Kyiv boost its defences amid expectations of continued Russian attacks over the winter.
- Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested he hoped to meet Trump later this month to discuss missile defence, among other things.
In other news,
- Several European countries condemned Serbia’s decision to hold a ceremonial funeral for Bosnian Serb war criminal Ratko Mladić, stressing the incompatibility of the move with the country’s aspirations to join the EU.
- The European Commission joined in condemnations today, after facing harsh criticism from Bosnia over its comments yesterday, but said it was “looking into” the issue without suggesting any immediate moves against Serbia.