Recent actions by EU members, including Hungary’s September 8 expulsion of ten Russian diplomats over Vienna Convention violations and suspected intelligence activities, reflect ongoing concerns over hybrid threats such as espionage and sabotage. However, Budapest explicitly preserved diplomatic relations and did not target the ambassador. Similar targeted removals of lower-level staff have occurred in Austria, Italy, and Germany, while the EU has capped mission sizes in Brussels without severing ties. Poland has urged broader reductions in Russian diplomatic presence, yet no member state has moved against an ambassador, a step that would mark a sharper escalation. These patterns support trader expectations that such a high-profile expulsion remains unlikely by year-end.