According to findings by American journalists from "The Washington Post," Hungary's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has maintained a close working relationship with Russian diplomats in recent years. It has been reported that Hungary's Foreign Minister, Peter Szijjártó, communicated via phone with Sergey Lavrov even during meetings of the European Council, relaying information about the proceedings. This cooperation is said to have granted Russia constant access to current information regarding internal EU matters. Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Szijjártó has also made 16 official visits to Moscow, with the latest occurring on March 4, when he met with Vladimir Putin.