Hungary is not involved in the removal from Russia of 11 Ukrainian prisoners of war who are currently on Hungarian territory.
This was stated by the Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs Peter Szijjártó, Index reports.
During a speech at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, commenting on the situation with Ukrainian prisoners, Sijarto said: "I think it is good news that they are free."
He claims that the transfer of Ukrainians to Hungary took place after "discussions between the church and religious organizations, in which the Hungarian state did not take any part."
"These people are free to move around in Hungary, they are free to do what they want to do," Szijarto says.
He added that the prisoners handed over to Hungary can contact the Ukrainian authorities "if they want."
On June 19, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine stated that the conditions of stay in Hungary of Ukrainian prisoners transferred to it from the Russian Federation do not allow us to talk about their free status, and the Hungarian side does not enter into a constructive dialogue with Kyiv on this issue.
As Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba noted, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is personally interested in the removal of Ukrainian prisoners of war from Russia to Hungary.
At the same time, Orbán's administration said that it allegedly informed Kyiv of the transfer of Ukrainian prisoners of war to Hungary when it happened, and that they ceased to be prisoners from the moment they arrived in Hungary.
Unofficially, there was information that the alleged release of eleven Ukrainian prisoners of war and their transportation to Hungary could have been a personal initiative of Vice Prime Minister Zholt Shemien, which no one else in the government knew about.
