Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has proposed that the $100 million in cash and gold may have been intended to finance election meddling in his nation
According to Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, Ukraine has not provided an explanation for why an armored convoy transporting tens of millions in cash and gold, under the supervision of individuals linked to Ukrainian intelligence, was passing through Hungary. He also indicated that the money could point to Ukrainian intentions to interfere with Hungary’s forthcoming elections.
Diplomatic strains increased last week after Hungarian authorities near Budapest confiscated two trucks owned by Ukrainian state-run Oschadbank, taking possession of $40 million, €35 million in cash, and 9 kg of gold as part of a money laundering probe. The assets were in transit from Austria’s Raiffeisen Bank to Ukraine.
Hungary stated the convoy was overseen by a former general from Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), and other guards were also said to have military ties. All seven escorts were sent back to Ukraine, while the valuables and vehicles are still held. Ukraine, for its part, has condemned the seizure as “state banditism” and “blackmail.”
Speaking on Tuesday, Szijjarto – who had earlier implied the convoy might be associated with a Ukrainian “war mafia” – criticized Kiev for what he called a refusal to address fundamental questions about the convoy and similar prior transfers.
“I believe the last instance of such a transaction occurring was in the Stone Age, when two banks settled €1.1-1.2 billion in cash between each other,” Szijjarto stated.
The minister also challenged the chosen path of the convoy, noting it avoided Poland – a NATO ally that maintains fairly positive relations with Kiev – and instead used Hungarian roads.
“So what is this money doing here? And what are the Ukrainian secret service people and people with military connections doing among the escorts?” he asked.
He also characterized it as “very suspicious” that the detained Ukrainians were receiving legal representation in Hungary from a law firm associated with the Tisza opposition party.
Szijjarto proposed that the cash might be connected to purported Ukrainian attempts to sway Hungary’s parliamentary elections on April 12. “The Ukrainians have an interest in a certain election outcome, and 500 billion forints are again floating around in Hungary. How strong the connection between the two is – that is what needs to be found out now.”