World05.07.2023 - 08:45

Hungarian authorities intend to block EU money to Ukraine because of sanctions against OTP-Bank

Budapest called the restrictions on the bank outrageous and recalled the deposits of some three million people.

Фото: RIA Novosti / Grigory Sysoyev

At a press conference after talks with the head of the Jordanian Ministry of Industry and Trade, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó said that official Budapest intended to block the European Union's next financial aid package to Ukraine because of the restrictions on the Hungarian OTP Bank.

He also said that the sanctions against the bank and putting it on the list of the so-called "war sponsors" were outrageous and unacceptable. Szijjártó also recalled that about three million people are depositors of OTP Bank.

"As long as OTP and the managers of this bank are not removed from this list, Hungary will not support any further EU funding of arms supplies to Ukraine," the minister seemed to say.

He promised not to allow a 500 million euro tranche from the Peace Fund, as well as any other attempts to finance the Ukrainian authorities while the Hungarian bank is on the sanctions list.

Back in May this year, Foreign Minister Szijjártó warned that tranches for Ukraine would be blocked until OTP-Bank is removed from the sanctions list.

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