“This is an important step in relations with Hungary: today, funds belonging to Oshchadbank, which were seized by the Hungarian secret services in March this year, were returned. Then, the Hungarian side unjustifiably detained Ukrainian collectors. We managed to bring people back earlier, and now the funds (of the bank) are entirely on the territory of Ukraine,” Zelensky wrote in the Telegram messenger.
“I am grateful to Hungary for its constructive and civilized approach. I thank all members of the Ukrainian delegation who fought for a fair decision and defended the interests of our country and our citizens,” the president noted.
Stopping the Oszczadbank convoy. This went wrong
At the beginning of March, Hungarian services detained two vehicles belonging to the Ukrainian state-owned Oshchadbank along with seven of its employees. They transported USD 40 million, EUR 35 million and 9 kg of gold from Austria to Ukraine through Hungarian territory.
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The VSquare website, citing sources close to the matter, reported at the end of March that the purpose of stopping the Ukrainian bank's convoy was not to enforce the law, but to cause a diplomatic crisis between Hungary and Ukraine, which could benefit Prime Minister Viktor Orban in the pre-election campaign.
However, the operation did not go according to plan, VSquare noted. After the arrest, it was found that the Ukrainians' documentation, money transfers and the entire transport logistics were legal. It also turned out that the drivers and guards did not have weapons with them. According to multiple sources, it became clear that there was no legal basis for the search or for the subsequent detention, interrogation without a lawyer, or for the expulsion of the Ukrainian personnel, VSquare noted.
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In mid-April, Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs withdrew previous recommendations for its citizens to avoid traveling to Hungary. The ministry's decision was related to the parliamentary elections in Hungary and the end of the election campaign in that country.
Peter Magyar's Tisz Party won 141 seats in the 199-seat Hungarian National Assembly in the April 12 parliamentary elections. This result gives Magyar's party a constitutional majority.
