Ukraine expels 2 Hungarian diplomats in tit-for-tat move

ISTANBUL

Ukraine on Friday announced it had ordered two Hungarian diplomats to leave the country within 48 hours, responding to Budapest’s earlier expulsion of Ukrainian diplomats over espionage claims.

Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Kyiv had summoned the Hungarian ambassador and delivered an official note, citing “reciprocity and our national interests.”

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.