Hungary Claims Ukrainian Funds Transported Through Its Territory a National Security Concern

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó has stated that the recent detention of Ukrainian funds transported through Hungary raises national security concerns for his country. The funds, associated with Oschadbank, were discovered being transported in vehicles.

According to a report by European Truth, referencing Szijjártó’s statement in Hungarian Nation, the minister commented on the summoning of the Hungarian ambassador to the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the treatment of the detained Ukrainian individuals.

Szijjártó claimed that Ukrainian authorities “fell into a serious panic after they were caught transporting hundreds of millions of euros and hundreds of millions of dollars through Hungary.” He further asserted that the presence of this large sum of cash in Hungary – “hundreds of millions of euros and hundreds of millions of dollars” – became a matter of national security.

The Hungarian Foreign Minister questioned the purpose of the funds, asking, “What did they spend and what are they spending this huge amount of money on?” He also raised concerns about potential interference in Hungary’s parliamentary elections, questioning whether the funds were used for such purposes.

Szijjártó stated that while Ukraine demanded the return of the money during the summoning of the Hungarian ambassador, they were unable to answer Hungary’s questions regarding the funds’ intended use.

Ukraine has stated its intention to ensure accountability for all involved in the seizure of the funds and any mistreatment of the detained Ukrainian collectors that exceeded legal boundaries.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry reported on March 9th that Hungarian anti-terrorism center soldiers detained unarmed Ukrainian collectors using armored personnel carriers, machine guns, and grenade launchers.

Seven Ukrainian collectors, detained along with the valuables, returned to Ukraine on the evening of March 6th.