In June 2023, after the Wagner mercenaries led by Yevgeny Prigozhin rebelled against the Russian military leadership, former Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto called Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to inquire about the situation and express concern. The call took place shortly after Prigozhin’s forces occupied a southern military district in Rostov and began marching toward Moscow, claiming they were retaliating against an attack by the Russian armed forces. While the Kremlin denied any such attack, the FSB launched an investigation into Prigozhin for armed rebellion. During their conversation, Szijjarto asked Lavrov whether Russia was in control of the situation and if he was safe, to which Lavrov responded confidently, stating that the military was handling everything and dismissing reports of Putin and Prime Minister Mishustin leaving Moscow as false. Lavrov also downplayed the significance of social media reports, suggesting they were unreliable. The phone call was obtained by investigative journalists through the 'Kremlin Hotline' project involving multiple European outlets.
Bias read (Center): The article presents a direct transcript of a phone call between two foreign ministers during a significant geopolitical event. It does not exhibit overt bias, as it quotes both parties’ statements without editorializing or favoring one side over the other. The framing remains neutral, focusing on a
