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Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
The Hungary-Ukraine spy scandal and Russia's possible role, explained
Ukraine's rocky relationship with Hungary reached new lows this month with the uncovering of an alleged spy ring run from Budapest. Arrests, tit-for-tat expulsions, and a stream of accusations from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban soon followed in a diplomatic scandal with potentially massive ramifications for both countries. "This is probably the most-discussed Ukraine-related news (in Hungary) since the beginning of the full-scale invasion," Andras Racz, a senior fellow at the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) Center for Security and Defense, told the Kyiv Independent. "It's truly unprecedented," he added. Adding to the intrigue are the questions looming over the motives of the alleged spies, who were allegedly tasked with gathering sensitive military information that would be highly valuable to one country in particular — Russia. Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) on May 9 said it had uncovered a Hungarian espionage network in western Ukraine in what was the first case of its kind. SBU counterintelligence detained two alleged agents and identified their supervisor as a Hungarian military intelligence officer. According to the SBU, one of those detained is a 40-year-old former Ukrainian military officer who was recruited by Hungarian intelligence in 2021 and placed in standby mode. Kyiv has long accused Budapest of undermining Ukraine's sovereignty through political interference and pursuing an active policy of issuing Hungarian passports to ethnic Hungarians in the region. They claim he was "activated" in September 2024 when he began to conduct reconnaissance on the deployment of Ukrainian Armed Forces and the coordinates of S-300 air defense systems in the region. The spies' tasks also included identifying official vehicles belonging to Ukraine's army, and gathering data on the presence of aircraft and helicopters in Zakarpattia Oblast. They were also tasked with gauging local attitudes to various scenarios including the deployment of a Hungarian "peacekeeping contingent." At the center of the spy scandal is Ukraine's Zakarpattia Oblast, a region that has long been home to a large ethnic Hungarian minority that numbered 70,000-80,000 in 2024. Relations between Ukraine and Hungary have been historically strained because of issues relating to Zakarpattia Oblast — Kyiv has long accused Budapest of undermining Ukraine's sovereignty through political interference and pursuing an active policy of issuing Hungarian passports to ethnic Hungarians in the region. In turn, Budapest accuses Kyiv of discriminating against the Hungarian ethnic minority there, especially over Ukraine's language laws that require at least 70% of education above fifth grade to be conducted in Ukrainian. While Budapest has called this measure discriminatory toward the Hungarian minority, Kyiv denies it is discriminatory, saying it only aims to ensure that every Ukrainian citizen has sufficient knowledge of the country's official language. These issues have taken on extra significance since the start of Ukraine's accession talks which formally launched in June 2024. Hungary — which as an existing member of the EU holds veto power over accession decisions — has held up the process, citing discrimination against its Hungarian minority as a key obstacle. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has accused Ukraine of collaborating with his political opposition, Tisza party leader Peter Magyar, to orchestrate a campaign to discredit him ahead of a planned referendum on Kyiv's EU membership. The day before the SBU announcement, Magyar released an audio recording of a 2023 conversation in which Defense Minister Kristof Szalay-Bobrovniczky talks of preparing the country's military for war — the opposite of what he and Orban had been saying in public, Magyar said. "Thus, the Hungarian opposition party took an active part in the special operation of the Ukrainian secret service," Orban said on May 13, adding: "Such a thing has never happened in our memory." Budapest also on May 9 expelled what it claimed were two "spies" working under diplomatic cover at Ukraine's embassy in Budapest, a move met with reciprocal expulsions by Kyiv. Another two Ukrainian "spies" were allegedly uncovered on May 20. After the scandal, Hungarian Deputy Foreign Minister Levente Magyar refused to come to Ukraine on May 12 for planned talks about the Hungarian national minority, Ukraine's Justice Ministry said on May 11. According to Racz, just the fact that Ukraine's SBU went public with the information is in itself significant. "Usually, espionage-related affairs are handled in a silent, non-public way. Even if there are expulsions, usually both sides are interested in minimizing tensions and the damage inflicted," Racz said. "Why would Budapest need the location and exact type of the air defense systems so much that they specifically instructed one of the agents to go there and take pictures of the installations? [...] I find no other plausible answer than Russia." And the timing of the announcement may also have been deliberate — according to Viktor Yahun, former deputy head of the SBU, the release of the information on May 9, Russia's Victory Day, was to "show once again how close the contacts and intentions of Hungary and Russia are." Complicating matters further is the fact that Orban is widely seen as the EU's most pro-Russian leader, and has repeatedly opposed military aid for Ukraine, arguing that Western support prolongs the war. He has maintained close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, holding official meetings despite the full-scale invasion and amplified Kremlin narratives in Europe. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has visited Russia 13 times in the past three years, far more than any other EU diplomat, and even more than some of Russia's closest allies. Read also: Hungarian FM visits Moscow, eyes further economic cooperation with Russia Largely because of this, Hungary has shifted into a "gray zone" regarding intelligence sharing with EU countries, Vitalii Diachuk, the Institute for Central European Strategy (ICES) analyst, told the Kyiv Independent. The intelligence exchange process became more formalized, and Hungary ceased receiving analytical intelligence from NATO and EU countries, and stopped providing any of its own intelligence related to Russia, he added. Diachuk said there was nothing irregular about a country collecting general intelligence on its neighbors "especially when there is a war going on," but said a line would be crossed if that information "poses a threat to Ukraine's national security." The SBU's claim that Hungarian spies were collecting information about Ukraine's air defenses would most certainly cross this line, Racz said "If the SBU's claims are well-grounded… then it is very hard to imagine why this information would be relevant for Hungary," he added. "Why would Budapest need the location and exact type of the air defense systems so much that they specifically instructed one of the agents to go there and take pictures of the installations?" Given the highly unlikely scenario that Hungary is planning to attack Ukraine and thus needs to know where its air defenses are located, the remaining possible explanations are limited. "At present, unfortunately, I find no other plausible answer than Russia," Racz said. Yahun told the Kyiv Independent that it's within the realm of possibility that Orban was acting under the orders of Russian President Vladimir Putin. "Some of my colleagues have said that it is possible that during Orban's meeting with Putin (in July 2024), he could have persuaded Orban to exchange some intelligence information that is sensitive to Hungary and Russia," Yahun said. Yahun also said it's unlikely that Orban didn't know about the spying operation given his closeness to Major General Norbert Tajti, the head of Hungary's Military National Security Service (KNBSZ). Before his appointment, he served in Hungary's Joint Forces Command and as Orban's aide in the Prime Minister's Office. "(Tajti) had been a personal assistant to Orban for three years. This means that this person is completely devoted to Orban, and any actions on his part could not have been operated independently," Yahun said. Racz also said that Orban's explanation — that the entire thing was an orchestrated campaign between Ukraine and his political opposition — is unlikely as Orban would not have missed the opportunity to present solid evidence and "frame Peter Magyar's Tisza party as a Ukrainian agent." The Kyiv Independent contacted the SBU to ask how long the alleged Hungarian spying operation had been ongoing, and if it was broader than just the two individuals already detained. "All information about the investigation that is currently permitted to be made public has already been posted on the official resources of the (SBU)," it said in a written statement. Read also: Ukraine attacks elite Russian unit base nearly 7,000km away in Vladivostok, source claims We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
DW
28-05-2025
- Business
- DW
Germany to help Ukraine increase missile production – DW – 05/28/2025
Germany's new chancellor has already made it clear that support for Ukraine is one of his top priorities. Friedrich Merz, leader of the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), made Kyiv one of his first stops as head of government. He demonstratively began his attempts to shore up help for Ukraine against the Russian invaders, together with the leaders of the UK, France, and Poland. "For Merz, continued support for Ukraine is the linchpin of his foreign policy. He wants to make sure, the Russian threat to Europe is stopped, in Ukraine if possible," Henning Hoff of the German Council on Foreign Relations told DW. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is now in Berlin once again. This is his first visit since Merz took over from his predecessor, Olaf Scholz. At a joint press conference after the talks, Merz promised Ukraine help with the procurement of long-range missiles. The aim was joint production. This could take place both in Ukraine and in Germany. There will be "no range restrictions" for such weapons, and "Ukraine can use them to defend itself fully, even against military targets outside its own territory," Merz added. Merz: 'We will step up our pressure on Russia' To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Germany will also continue to finance a significant part of the Starlink satellite communications system for Ukraine, said Merz. The system is operated by the aerospace company SpaceX, which was founded by US tech billionaire Elon Musk. "In general, the new German government seems more willing to take greater risks and, together with its allies, put more pressure on Russia," said Henning Hoff. Taurus missile debate When it comes to German weapons, Merz has long set himself apart from his predecessor. As leader of the opposition, Merz repeatedly spoke out in favor of the delivery of Germany's long-range Taurus missiles. Former Chancellor Scholz, however, was strictly against it, fearing Germany would be pulled further towards war with Russia. Since taking office, Merz has evaded questions on the Taurus, saying that "strategic ambiguity" was necessary. "It is good if Putin is unclear about what we are supplying," Jens Spahn, parliamentary group leader of the conservative bloc in the Bundestag, told public broadcaster ZDF. Ukraine is still hoping for Germany to deliver long-range weapons, Zelenskyy said in Wednesday's press conference in Berlin in response to a journalist's question. "Of course we need them, of course we will discuss this issue," the Ukrainian president said. Merz visits German brigade stationed in Lithuania To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Empty threats are counterproductive During their visit to Ukraine, the four European leaders had given Russia an ultimatum to Russia to agree to a 30-day ceasefire. In the event of a refusal, they threatened new sanctions. However, Russia not only let the deadline pass, but also launched some of the most violent attacks on civilian targets since the beginning of the war. And yet there were no consequences, as the four leaders had planned to implement the sanctions with US backing, which didn't materialize. In the following days, Merz seemed to have given up faith in a solution at the negotiating table. Wars usually come to an end through the economic or military exhaustion of one or both sides, he said on Tuesday during a visit to Finland. "We are obviously still a long way from that in this war. That's why I expect that we may have to prepare for a longer duration," Merz added. Trump: 'Putin has gone crazy' At the same time, there seems to be some movement in the deadlocked European-American discussions. Until recently, US President Donald Trump had made it clear that he wanted to negotiate peace in Ukraine with Russian President Vladimir Putin without involving the Europeans. But now Trump seems to be exasperated with the Russian leader. After massive new Russian airstrikes on Ukrainian residential areas, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform: "He's gone absolutely crazy!" The president decried Putin's apparent desire for the whole of Ukraine. "Iit will lead to the downfall of Russia!" Trump declared. This fuels hope in Berlin and Kyiv that Trump can still be won over to a joint approach. Can that succeed? "This is literally a multi-billion dollar question," said Henning Hoff. "The erratic US president is an admirer of Putin. The fact that he recently described him as 'completely crazy' could be a sign of disillusionment. Until now, the Kremlin has been counting on the US breaking away as a supporter of Ukraine under Trump and then the Europeans also losing heart." This may have been a major miscalculation on Putin's part, Hoff explained. Trump warns Putin of Russia 'downfall' To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video However, both Zelenskyy and Merz continue to fear that the US under Trump could completely turn on Ukraine and the peace process at any moment. The question would then be whether the Europeans could carry the burden alone. "Even if it is difficult: They will have to," said Hoff. Merz and Zelenskyy are likely to continue to try and keep Trump on board. Friedrich Merz will soon be making his inaugural visit to the White House. The Ukrainian and German leaders still seem to have hope that they can convince the US president to continue supporting Ukraine. This article was originally written in German. While you're here: Every Tuesday, DW editors round up what is happening in German politics and society. You can sign up here for the weekly email newsletter, Berlin Briefing.
NDTV
24-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Incorrect To Describe It As "Conflict": S Jaishankar On India-Pak Clash
New Delhi: The recent confrontation between India and Pakistan was not a "conflict in Kashmir", External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has asserted, saying such a description would be like putting the perpetrator and the victim of the Pahalgam attack at the same level. The "horrific" strike in Pahalgam was aimed at creating a "fear psychosis", destroying Jammu and Kashmir's tourism sector and was meant to "sow religious discord, he said. Dr S Jaishankar made the remarks during an interactive session at the German Council on Foreign Relations in Berlin late last evening. When asked about the "international implications of the conflict in Kashmir", he responded: "First of all, this was not a conflict in Kashmir, this was a terrorist attack." "And a terrorist attack which is part of a pattern which has not only targeted the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, but other parts of India as well," S Jaishankar said. "It's very important to clarify because when you project it as a conflict, you're really putting the perpetrator and the victim, without meaning to, at the same level." "So this was a horrific, particularly brutal terrorist attack because it was meant to create a fear psychosis and destroy the tourism economy of Kashmir, which is the mainstay," he said. The external affairs minister was in Berlin in the third and final leg of his three-nation tour of the Netherlands, Denmark and Germany. Under Operation Sindoor, India carried out precision strikes on nine terror infrastructures early on May 7 in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. Following the Indian action, Pakistan attempted to attack Indian military bases on May 8, 9 and 10. The Pakistani attempts were strongly responded to by the Indian side. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on May 10 announced that India and Pakistan reached an understanding to stop all firings and military actions on land, air and sea, with immediate effect. In his remarks, Jaishankar said India targeted "terrorist headquarters and terrorist centres" in Pakistan in response to the Pahalgam attack. "What we were responding to was terrorism and when we respond to such an attack, I think there was a lot of international understanding," he said. S Jaishankar also referred to a statement issued by the UN Security Council, that said people who did it should be brought to justice. "And that is exactly what we did on May 7. So we targeted terrorist headquarters and terrorist centres. And our campaign is against terrorism," he said. "Now, the terrorists in this case happened to be located in the country next door because that country next door has for many, many years used terrorism as a kind of a tool," he said. "When it comes to terrorism, I think today there's virtually no country which would say I approve of what is done or no country which would say I don't condemn what was done," he added. S Jaishankar said even Germany recognises India's right to defend itself against terrorism. He also pitched for greater cooperation between India and Europe in the Indo-Pacific. "The Indo-Pacific has its own set of issues, security is one of them. But I would actually point to a different concept, which is how do we give countries in the Indo-Pacific more choices." "That if countries in the Indo-Pacific have a single choice, they're railroaded along a certain path and they develop their dependencies," he added. "One part of what we are trying to do in the Indo-Pacific is to give different countries different options in various domains - telecom, digital infrastructure, space-based applications or health choices," he said.
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Incorrect to describe it as 'conflict in Kashmir': EAM Jaishankar on recent India-Pakistan clash
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel The recent confrontation between India and Pakistan was not a "conflict in Kashmir", External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has asserted, saying such a description would be like putting the perpetrator and the victim of the Pahalgam attack at the same level. The "horrific" strike in Pahalgam was aimed at creating a "fear psychosis", destroying Jammu and Kashmir's tourism sector and was meant to "sow religious discord, he made the remarks during an interactive session at the German Council on Foreign Relations in Berlin late last asked about the "international implications of the conflict in Kashmir", he responded: "First of all, this was not a conflict in Kashmir, this was a terrorist attack.""And a terrorist attack which is part of a pattern which has not only targeted the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, but other parts of India as well," Jaishankar said."It's very important to clarify because when you project it as a conflict, you're really putting the perpetrator and the victim, without meaning to, at the same level.""So this was a horrific, particularly brutal terrorist attack because it was meant to create a fear psychosis and destroy the tourism economy of Kashmir, which is the mainstay," he external affairs minister was in Berlin in the third and final leg of his three-nation tour of the Netherlands, Denmark and Operation Sindoor, India carried out precision strikes on nine terror infrastructures early on May 7 in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack Following the Indian action, Pakistan attempted to attack Indian military bases on May 8, 9 and 10. The Pakistani attempts were strongly responded to by the Indian Secretary Vikram Misri on May 10 announced that India and Pakistan reached an understanding to stop all firings and military actions on land, air and sea, with immediate his remarks, Jaishankar said India targeted "terrorist headquarters and terrorist centres" in Pakistan in response to the Pahalgam attack."What we were responding to was terrorism and when we respond to such an attack, I think there was a lot of international understanding," he also referred to a statement issued by the UN Security Council, that said people who did it should be brought to justice."And that is exactly what we did on May 7. So we targeted terrorist headquarters and terrorist centres. And our campaign is against terrorism," he said."Now, the terrorists in this case happened to be located in the country next door because that country next door has for many, many years used terrorism as a kind of a tool," he said."When it comes to terrorism, I think today there's virtually no country which would say I approve of what is done or no country which would say I don't condemn what was done," he said even Germany recognises India's right to defend itself against also pitched for greater cooperation between India and Europe in the Indo-Pacific."The Indo-Pacific has its own set of issues, security is one of them. But I would actually point to a different concept, which is how do we give countries in the Indo-Pacific more choices.""That if countries in the Indo-Pacific have a single choice, they're railroaded along a certain path and they develop their dependencies," he added."One part of what we are trying to do in the Indo-Pacific is to give different countries different options in various domains - telecom, digital infrastructure, space-based applications or health choices," he said.
Hindustan Times
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Recent India-Pak clashes not about ‘conflict in Kashmir': Jaishankar in Berlin
New Delhi: The recent clashes between India and Pakistan were triggered by the 'brutal terrorist attack' in Pahalgam and were not about a 'conflict in Kashmir', and much of the world agreed with the actions taken by New Delhi, external affairs minister S Jaishankar has said. Describing the recent events as a 'conflict in Kashmir' would be akin to putting the perpetrator and the victim of the Pahalgam attack at the same level, Jaishankar said during at interaction at the DGAP or German Council on Foreign Relations in Berlin late on Friday. India targeted terrorists located in Pakistan, which has 'for many, many years used terrorism as a kind of a tool in its attempts to pressure us', he said during an interactive session at the think tank. Jaishankar responded to a question on the 'international implications of the conflict in Kashmir' by saying: 'First of all, this was not a conflict in Kashmir, this was a terrorist attack. 'And a terrorist attack which is part of a pattern which has not only targeted the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, but other parts of India as well. It's very important to clarify because when you project it as a conflict, you're really putting the perpetrator and the victim, without meaning to, at the same level.' India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terrorist infrastructure within Pakistan in retaliation for the Pahalgam attack last month that killed 26 civilians. This triggered four days of intense clashes before India and Pakistan reached an understanding on May 10 to halt their military actions. Jaishankar said the 'horrific, particularly brutal terrorist attack' at Pahalgam was meant to 'create a fear psychosis and destroy the tourism economy of Kashmir'. The attack was also meant to sow religious discord because of the manner in which the victims were identified according to their faith and killed. There was a lot of international understanding for India's response to the attack and the UN Security Council issued a statement saying the perpetrators should be held accountable. 'And that is exactly what we did on May 7. We targeted terrorist headquarters and terrorist centres. And our campaign is against terrorism,' he said. 'When it comes to terrorism, I think today there's virtually no country which would say I approve of what is done or no country which would say I don't condemn what was done,' Jaishankar said, noting Germany too condemned the attack and backed India's right to defend itself against terrorism. Jaishankar also called for greater cooperation between India and European countries, particularly Germany, in the Indo-Pacific to give countries in the region more option in key sectors such as telecommunications, digital infrastructure, space-based applications and healthcare. While security is one of the main issues in the Indo-Pacific, Jaishankar said, in an apparent reference to China and its Belt and Road Initiative, that countries in the region would be 'railroaded' if they do not have more choices. 'I would actually point to a different concept, which is how do we give countries in the Indo-Pacific more choices. That if countries in the Indo-Pacific have a single choice, they're railroaded along a certain path and they develop their dependencies and frankly they're put in a very unenviable position,' he said. Jaishankar also pointed to changes in the US's engagement with the world during crises and humanitarian disasters while seeking greater cooperation between India and Europe to deal with these issues. While the US was the main responder during the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, questions have now arisen about its willingness to commit resources and undertake responsibilities, he said. He cited the example of the recent earthquake in Myanmar and said India and the China were the first to send relief teams to the country and set up shelters and mobile hospitals. 'We do feel there is an intent certainly on the part of Europe to [work on these issues] but intent by itself won't work if you don't have partners who make it possible,' he said, calling for new modes of collaboration between India and Europe to deal with global crises.
