Officials Call for Probe on Possible Link Between Cash Shipment and Ukrainian Election Interference + Video

Several questions remain unresolved regarding the attempted transport of hundreds of millions of euros and dollars through Hungary toward Ukraine, and it must be determined whether the shipment is connected to Ukrainian interference in Hungary's national elections, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said Tuesday in Budapest.

Hungary's Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Peter Szijjarto (Photo: MTI)

According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Peter Szijjarto made the remarks during a public forum at the Hetek Public Affairs Club. He said the upcoming election is a decisive issue not only for Hungary but also for Ukraine. If the current Fidesz-KIDNP government remains in power, he said, Hungary will not be drawn into the war, will not hand over taxpayers’ money, and will not support Ukraine’s accession to the European Union.

Peter Szijjarto: We must find out whether the transfer of money is related to Ukrainian interference in Hungary's elections (Photo: MTI)

“When we talk about Ukrainians interfering in the Hungarian parliamentary elections, it is worth approaching the issue from the perspective that for them this is just as decisive a matter as it is for us,” he said.

Szijjarto emphasized that it would run counter to Ukraine’s interests if Hungary’s sovereign policy remained in place after April 12.

“They envision a different future for themselves, and that future can only be achieved if Hungary experiences a political shift as a result of the parliamentary elections, with a political force taking power that would not oppose the ambitions coming from Brussels—ambitions that align with Kyiv’s goals of further escalating the conflict on the continent, financing Ukraine, and advancing its accession to the European Union,” he said.

Szijjarto argued,

Ukraine is de facto interfering in the election because it would like to see an outcome favorable to its interests. And of course, this interference has forms that are less visible to the public. In such cases, we also defend ourselves in ways that are less visible to the public,” he continued.

“There are also manifestations that are completely obvious in public. For example, when President Zelensky spoke in Davos about how a man named Viktor should be slapped up side of the head so that he does not feel so comfortable, or when they issue a death threat against the Hungarian prime minister, or when attempts are made to provoke an energy supply crisis in Hungary,” he added. In this context, Szijjarto described it as highly unusual that Ukraine attempted to transport hundreds of millions of euros and dollars through Hungary.

When the question arises as to what this money is doing here in Hungary, the answer given is that it is a transaction between two banks. But the last time two banks settled 1.1–1.2 billion euros between themselves in cash must have been in the Stone Age,

he remarked. “There may be a reason for it, but these several days should have been enough to provide an explanation—and that has not happened,” he noted.

He also raised questions about the route taken by the cash transport vehicles, pointing out that they did not choose the shortest path and could have traveled through allied Poland instead.

So what is this money doing here? And what are Ukrainian intelligence personnel and individuals connected to the military doing among the escorts?” he asked, noting that “The last straw was when it turned out that a law firm associated with the Tisza party is representing them. Taken together, in this overall picture, it is highly suspicious,

he said.

“In other words, we know, we see, and it is clear that the Ukrainians are interfering, that they have an interest in a certain election outcome, and that 500 billion forints are once again circulating in Hungary. How strong the connection between the two is—that is what must now be determined,” Szijjarto concluded.

Cover photo: Hungary's Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Peter Szijjarto (Photo: MTI)