Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has denounced "foreign interference" in Hungary's election campaign, after investigative media published telephone conversations suggesting he passed on information to Russia.
Calling it a "very big scandal", Mr Szijjarto lambasted "the interception of his calls by foreign secret services, who made them public" a week-and-a-half before the parliamentary elections "in the interest of Ukraine", he wrote on Facebook.
A consortium of Eastern European media outlets - The Insider, VSquare and Delfi - claimed in an investigation published today that Mr Szijjarto had provided Moscow with "direct-line" access to "strategic information on crucial issues".
The investigation cited leaked recordings and transcripts of phone calls, in one of which Mr Szijjarto is alleged to have told Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov: "I am at your service."
Commenting on the story, Ukraine's foreign minister Andriy Sybiga said: "These are not conversations. This is obsequious reporting to Russian patrons. Disgusting, it is a disgrace, and it really should be subject to investigation."
Hungary's pro-Russian nationalist prime minister Viktor Orban has repeatedly held up EU sanctions against Russia and blocked aid to the war-torn Ukraine, even trading barbs with Kyiv.
The accusations against Mr Szijjarto, a close ally of Mr Orban, come ahead of the parliamentary elections on 12 April in which the nationalist leader faces his biggest ballot-box challenge in years.
Mr Orban is vying to be re-elected for a fifth term despite accusations from the opposition of disloyalty towards European Union partners, as well as of allowing Kremlin interference.
'Very sinister development' - Martin
Taoiseach Micheál Martin described the content of the leaked conversation as "a very sinister development".
"It confirms what many suspected, that the Hungarian government has been doing the bidding for Russia for quite some time," said Mr Martin during a news conference in Warsaw alongside Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
"The deferential tone of the conversation was apparent and it really is a very serious situation within the European Union to have that kind of behaviour.
"It's very revealing of the relationship between the Hungarian government and the Russian government," Mr Martin added.
Additional reporting Liam Nolan
