The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, commented on the situation surrounding the seizure of state-owned Oschadbank’s assets in Hungary, which were confiscated by the Hungarian authorities. He emphasized the need for a decisive response from Europe to Budapest’s actions, which he described as fitting the definition of “banditry.”
This is reported by Kyiv24
Ukraine Demands a Response from Europe
During the discussion of this issue, President Zelensky noted that he has repeatedly reached out to international partners, urging them not to remain indifferent to the situation. He stressed that European countries are expected to take a clear stance on protecting Ukraine’s rights and its financial interests.
“I will reiterate to you officially and publicly what I have told many of our friends: Europe needs to do one thing today – not to remain silent.”
The Position of Hungary and Ukraine’s Reaction
On March 10, Hungary’s Minister of Transport, Janos Lazar, stated that Budapest has no intention of returning the funds that were seized from cash-in-transit vehicles to Ukraine. According to him, this money will remain in Hungary until the operation of the Druzhba oil pipeline is restored and new money transfers occur through Hungarian territory.
We are talking about a significant amount: 40 million US dollars, 35 million euros, and 9 kilograms of gold belonging to Oschadbank. The cash-in-transit crews transporting these funds, along with their escort, were deported from Hungary.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha responded to Lazar’s statement, calling it a de facto admission of hostage-taking and theft of state property. The diplomat emphasized that such actions should be classified as state terrorism.
Earlier, Andriy Sybiha also reported that the Hungarian authorities had taken seven Ukrainian citizens – employees of Oschadbank – hostage while they were conducting a cash-in-transit operation between Austria and Ukraine. The National Police of Ukraine has opened criminal proceedings regarding the abduction of Ukrainian citizens and a service vehicle on Hungarian territory.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has urged citizens to refrain from traveling to Hungary or transiting through the country, given the current situation.