Russia expels Hungarian diplomats as Budapest breaks with Orbán era

Russia expelled a group of Hungarian diplomats on Thursday after Hungary ordered 10 Russian diplomats out last month, marking a sharp break from the era of former Premier Viktor Orbán, who maintained closer ties with Moscow than any other EU leader. Hungary's chargé d'affaires Gábor Gergics was summoned to Russia's foreign ministry and informed that staff from the Hungarian embassy in Moscow and consulates in St Petersburg and Kazan had been ordered to leave within two weeks. Moscow described Hungary's original 8 September expulsion as a "baseless and openly unfriendly" act. Budapest acknowledged Moscow's decision but said it stood by its position. "Hungary is not interested in an escalation of diplomatic tensions.