Hungarian journalist: Orbán's intelligence services spied on Ukraine years ago
Source: Panyi on Facebook, as reported by European Pravda
Details: Following the arrest by Ukraine's Security Service of two suspected Hungarian spies in Zakarpattia Oblast, accused of working for Hungarian military intelligence, Panyi "recalled information he had previously received."
The journalist states that in the second half of 2023, two national security officers from EU/NATO countries told him that while most NATO states were exchanging intelligence primarily concerning Russia, Hungary was not cooperating in the same way.
Quote: "From the data that Hungarian intelligence services were submitting to the 'common pool', NATO allies already understood that Hungary's civilian and military intelligence were focused on rather different targets: they were sharing a relatively large volume of information about Ukraine."
Details: Panyi added that while almost all other member states were gathering intelligence on Russia as the aggressor and sharing it with partners, "the Hungarians were spying on Ukraine."
He also pointed to a significant failure by Hungarian military intelligence shortly before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. On 23 February 2022, Hungarian intelligence leaders told MPs there would be no large-scale assault. The following morning, Russia attacked Kyiv.
Background:
On Friday, Ukraine's Security Service announced it had uncovered a Hungarian military intelligence network engaged in espionage in Zakarpattia Oblast in Ukraine's west. The network was reportedly assessing the mood of local residents and gauging their reaction to the possible presence of Hungarian peacekeepers in the oblast.
Initially, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said Budapest had not received any official notification from Kyiv about the uncovered Hungarian spy network, and referred to the reports as "anti-Hungarian propaganda".
However, a few hours later, Budapest announced the expulsion of two Ukrainian diplomats, accusing them of espionage.
The Hungarian authorities asserted that Ukraine's statement about uncovering a Hungarian intelligence network on its territory indicates cooperation between Kyiv and the Hungarian opposition party Tisza.
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The Hill
26 minutes ago
- The Hill
Trump must not give anything away in Alaska
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He viewed both men as 'poor worms,' and Nazi documents released subsequent to World War II reveal that Hitler viewed Chamberlain as so weak that he worried that British prime minister would preemptively give away Poland, thereby robbing Germany of the ability to seize the country by force. Trump needs to demonstrate to Putin when they meet in Alaska that he is no Neville Chamberlain. He must avoid any giveaway to the Russian dictator, which would only whet Putin's clearly insatiable appetite for more conquests, be they remainder of Ukraine, neutral Moldova or one of NATO's Baltic members. As Hitler sought 'lebensraum' — 'living space' for Germans — Putin seeks to restore the Czarist Empire. Whatever the term, the objective was and is the same: territorial expansion. It took a global war to stop Hitler. Hopefully, a strong-willed Trump will obviate the prospect of another devastating conflict. Dov S. Zakheim is a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and vice chairman of the board for the Foreign Policy Research Institute. He was undersecretary of Defense (comptroller) and chief financial officer for the Department of Defense from 2001 to 2004 and a deputy undersecretary of Defense from 1985 to 1987.
28 minutes ago
Ukraine, left out in Trump-Putin summit, fears setbacks on key peace issues
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NBC News
an hour ago
- NBC News
Putin praises Trump's 'energetic and sincere' peace efforts ahead of Alaska summit
Russia's Vladimir Putin sounded positive Thursday on the eve of his talks with President Donald Trump in Alaska, saying he believed the American leader was making "quite energetic and sincere efforts" toward peace in Ukraine. A day ahead of their summit, Putin convened a meeting of advisers "to inform you about how the negotiation process on the Ukrainian crisis is going," the Kremlin said in a readout translated by NBC News. The Russian leader said the Trump administration "is making, in my opinion, quite energetic and sincere efforts to stop the fighting, stop the crisis and reach agreements that are of interest to all parties involved in this conflict." Those efforts are intended "to create long-term conditions of peace between our countries and in Europe, and in the world as a whole," he added, particularly if the negotiations extended to cover strategic offensive weapons treaties. This suggests that a deal on nuclear arms control could be part of the talks. Russia suspended its participation in the New START "reduction in strategic offensive arms" agreement in 2023. The summit has prompted howls of dismay and anxiety across Ukraine and Europe, which have not been invited to the talks and fear what the American president may agree with his Russian counterpart about the conflict raging on their continent. They have been confined to their own diplomatic scrambling, including dozens of calls between Ukraine's President Zelenskyy and other leaders, culminating in a video call between these parties and Trump himself Wednesday. Zelenskyy said that Putin 'is bluffing' in saying he wants peace. Trump said afterward that he had assured his Euro-counterparts that there would be "very severe consequences" — without elaborating what those might be — if Putin did not agree to end the war during their sit-down discussion. Two European officials and three other people briefed on the call told NBC News that he told them he would not discuss possible divisions of territory with the man flying in from the Kremlin.
