Hungary announced the expulsion of ten Russian diplomats, allegedly for behaviors deemed incompatible with their diplomatic status. The Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs did not specify which behaviors motivated the decision, but stressed that the expulsion does not imply a rupture in relations between the two countries.
In response, Russia promised a "hard and painful" retaliation to the Hungarian government's decision. The diplomatic tension arises in a context where Hungary, although a member of the European Union and NATO, has maintained a more moderate stance toward Russia, frequently in conflict with the positions of most Western allies.
This is not the first time European countries have expelled Russian diplomats in recent years, in a context of deteriorating relations between the West and Moscow, particularly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
