Ukraine expels two Hungarian diplomats in reciprocal action
Ukraine announced on Friday that it had given two Hungarian diplomats 48 hours to leave the country, in retaliation for Budapest’s earlier expulsion of Ukrainian diplomats amid espionage allegations.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Kyiv had summoned the Hungarian ambassador and delivered an official note, citing “reciprocity and our national interests,” News.Az reports citing foreign media.
The move follows Hungary’s decision to expel two Ukrainian diplomats accused of spying.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said the individuals had been “working under diplomatic cover” at the Ukrainian Embassy in Budapest.
The accusations came after Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) claimed it had dismantled a Hungarian spy network operating inside the country, detaining two Ukrainian military veterans allegedly recruited by Hungarian intelligence to gather information on western defense lines.
Szijjarto dismissed the allegations as “propaganda,” stating that Hungary had yet to receive official evidence from Kyiv.
Since the onset of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022, Hungary has maintained a neutral stance, refraining from sending military aid to Ukraine.
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