How Sergey Lavrov Supported the Azerbaijani Usmanov Family

The Insider has published details about the contents of recordings related to discussions between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Hungary’s Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto. They have held several telephone conversations concerning EU sanctions and European policy on Ukraine. According to the same publication, one of these discussions revolved around attempts to lift restrictions imposed on Azerbaijani oligarch Alisher Usmanov's sister, Gulbakhor Ismailova, in Russia.

The article states that on August 30, 2024, Lavrov called Szijjarto and reminded him of the Ismailova issue, noting that he was acting at Usmanov's request. Szijjarto reportedly responded that Hungary and Slovakia were preparing to submit a proposal within the EU for her removal from the sanctions list. Subsequently, as per the same source, Ismailova's EU sanctions were lifted in March 2025, whereas Estonia included her in its national list.

The article also mentions that during these and other conversations, Szijjarto conveyed details of ongoing discussions within the EU to Russian officials. Specifically, the authors of the publication claim he provided information about closed discussions among European diplomats and spoke about negotiations concerning the EU's 18th sanctions package. It was reported that he attempted to soften restrictions regarding certain companies, banks, and energy interests.

According to the publication, by the end of June 2025, Szijjarto informed Russian Deputy Minister of Energy Pavel Sorokin that he was trying to prevent the adoption of new sanctions and maintain Hungary's and Slovakia's import options for Russian gas and oil. The article concludes by noting that neither Lavrov nor Szijjarto responded to requests for comments from the publication's authors.