The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine positively assessed the release of two Ukrainians of Hungarian descent who were held captive in the Russian Federation. At the same time, the ministry emphasized that the situation surrounding the release is being used for political manipulation and publicity.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Demands Transparency and Access to the Released
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry stressed the importance of returning individuals from Russian captivity, especially considering that the vast majority of prisoners of war suffer torture. However, Ukraine has not received official information regarding the specific individuals who were released, so the temporary chargé d’affaires of Hungary will be invited to the ministry to obtain reliable data. A request will also be sent to ensure access to these citizens.
“It is always important when people are freed from Russian captivity, especially given that 95% of Ukrainian prisoners of war experience torture while in captivity. At the same time, the Ukrainian side has not been provided with information about the specific released individuals, so the temporary chargé d’affaires of Hungary will be invited to the Ministry for reliable data. The Ukrainian side will also make a request for access to the individuals who were returned,” the statement said.
Political Manipulations
The Foreign Ministry also noted that the release of captives is increasingly being used as a tool for political publicity, especially in the context of the election campaign in Hungary and in relations between Budapest and the Kremlin. The ministry highlighted the cynicism of such actions and called for an end to speculations regarding the fate of individuals. The Ukrainian side hopes that after this situation, the released individuals will be allowed to choose their future without further political pressure.
It is worth recalling that on March 4, Russian leader Vladimir Putin announced the release of two individuals at the request of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. These are residents of Transcarpathia who hold Ukrainian and Hungarian citizenship. Putin referred to these individuals as “forcibly mobilized,” but provided no evidence for his claims and stated his intention to hand them over to Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó.