The media have published audio recordings showing close contacts between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, which, according to journalists, were aimed at circumventing the EU sanctions policy.
According to the publication, in August 2024, Lavrov approached Szijjarto at the request of Russian businessman Alisher Usmanov to help remove the name of his sister, Gulbahor Ismayilova, from the EU sanctions list. Szijjarto promised to do “everything possible,” and about seven months later, Ismayilova was indeed removed from the list.
According to the same sources, Hungary and Slovakia have been regularly seeking to have sanctions imposed on several Russian individuals eased or lifted, often without clear legal justification. During negotiations in March 2026, they also tried to remove Usmanov from the list, but to no avail.
Earlier, The Washington Post reported that Szijjarto had conveyed information to Lavrov about closed discussions within the EU, further indicating deep cooperation between the parties.
