"We won't approve any EU funding so long as OTP remains on Kyiv's blacklist”

Hungary's foreign minister called it scandalous that Ukrainian authorities had added Hungary’s biggest bank to their blacklist for deceitful and ridiculous reasons.

Szijjártó Péter az ENSZ BT nyílt vitáján New Yorkban Fotó: KKM

– Hungary will not approve any additional EU funding for weapon deliveries to Ukraine until Kyiv removes OTP Bank from its list of international war sponsors, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Tuesday. Answering a question during a press conference following a meeting of the Hungarian-Jordanian mixed economic committee, Mr Szijjarto called it “outrageous, unacceptable and scandalous” that the Ukrainian authorities had added Hungary’s biggest commercial bank with some three million clients to a list of war sponsors for “deceitful and ridiculous reasons,” according to a ministry statement.

We really do feel at times that they’re messing with us, and the reason we don’t say this more often is because there’s a war going on next door, and in a situation like this one must choose their words wisely,

– he said.

– However, the fact that while we’re doing everything we can to help the Ukrainian people and Hungarians are the ones paying the price of a war that they have nothing to do with, Ukraine's reaction is to blacklist Hungary’s biggest commercial bank is taking it way too far, he stressed. Concerning Ukraine’s arguments for including OTP on the list, FM Szijjarto said he doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry. „We’d love to laugh, because the things they are bringing up are ludicrous, but since the situation is serious, we’re horrified instead,” he said.

So our position is clear: until OTP is removed from the list, Hungary will not approve any further EU funding for weapon deliveries to Ukraine,

–  he said. 

– It’s not just the 500 million euros that we have just blocked that we won’t approve; it’s best if they won't submit any further proposals for funding additional weapon deliveries, Mr Szijjarto has stressed. regarding the ratification of Sweden’s NATO accession, he said the decision was „entirely in the hands of lawmakers,” noting that the government had submitted the proposal long ago. Hungary's foreign minister said he had held consultations with his Turkish counterpart on multiple occasions over the past few days and had been told that „communication will remain close,” as Ankara will continue its negotiations with Sweden and NATO. „If there is any change, we will, of course, keep our promise that Hungary will not delay the accession of any country,” he added.

Cover photo: Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto (Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade)