In the heart of Europe, an event occurred that resembled real detective films. Political tensions between Ukraine and Hungary have now escalated into a "million-dollar" conflict. In Budapest, collectors of the State Bank of Ukraine were arrested with a large sum of cash and gold. Zamin.uz investigated the details of this sensational incident.
On March 5, two cars belonging to the state bank "Oshchadbank" of Ukraine were stopped on the territory of Hungary. The load inside the cars was astonishing.
What was in the cars?
The amount of funds confiscated by Hungarian law enforcement agencies was as follows: the cars contained 40 million US dollars, 35 million euros, and nine kilograms of gold.
Representatives of "Oshchadbank" stated that these funds were being legally transferred within the framework of an agreement with the Austrian bank Raiffeisen Bank. However, the Hungarian side is skeptical of this.
"State terrorism" or "money laundering"?
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine accused Hungary of "taking hostages" of its citizens and "stealing" their funds. According to the minister, these actions represent "state terrorism and racketeering."
In response, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó posed very difficult questions:
"Why do banks carry out mutual settlements not by money transfer, but in cash, especially through Hungary? Doesn't this money belong to the Ukrainian military mafia?"
Sijjarto stated that in recent months, Ukrainians have smuggled a total of $900 million, €420 million, and 146 kilograms of gold through Hungary.
Political game: Oil and €90 billion
This conflict isn't just about money transfers. It is based on several important factors:
- The "Druzhba" pipeline: Russian oil flowing to Hungary through Ukraine has been suspended since January. Budapest considers this a deliberate act of Kyiv.
- 90 billion loan: Hungary is blocking a huge EU loan it wants to allocate to Ukraine.
- Zelenskyy's threat: the Ukrainian president threatened to hand over the address of the person blocking the loan (referring to Orban) to the military. The European Commission called such words "unacceptable."
Mysterious General and Major
According to the Hungarian Customs Service, among the seven Ukrainian citizens detained were a former General of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and a former Major of the Air Force. This further strengthens the suspicion that the transaction is not a simple banking transaction. Currently, the funds have been confiscated, and individuals have been deported from the country.
Kyiv now advises its citizens not to travel to Hungary, as "security is not guaranteed" there.
In your opinion, who is right in this situation? Is it suspicious that Ukraine is transporting millions in cash, or is it really "racketeering" that Hungary confiscates them?
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