Ukraine does not consider the incident with the detention of Ukrainian collectors and the seizure of funds and valuables of Oschadbank in Hungary to be over. After the return of the seized assets, the Ukrainian side intends to seek compensation for the losses caused and the violation of the rights of the bank’s employees.
This was stated in a comment to “European Pravda” by the Chairman of the National Bank of Ukraine Andriy Pyshny.
According to the head of the NBU, the return of funds and valuables by Hungary is an important step, but the situation itself requires a proper legal assessment, since the actions of the Hungarian authorities against the Ukrainian collectors were unlawful.
“Together with Oschadbank and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we will continue to make efforts and facilitate an objective investigation of all the circumstances of these events and adequate compensation for the physical and moral damage caused to the property and employees of Oschadbank,” Pyshny said.
The National Bank reported that further actions will take place in two directions. The first is the legal work of Oschadbank and its advisors on compensation for damage and the lifting of restrictions that were applied to the Ukrainian side in the EU.
The second direction is the international interaction of the NBU with European institutions, in particular with the European Commission and the European Central Bank.
As Andriy Pyshny noted, Ukraine has already received support for its position from the President of the ECB Christine Lagarde. According to him, she shares concerns about possible risks to confidence in the euro as an international currency in the event of such actions.
As a reminder, on May 6, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky announced the return by the Hungarian side of Oschadbank’s funds and valuables, which were seized on March 6 in Budapest during an operation by the Hungarian National Anti-Terrorism Center.
After the incident, the Ukrainian collectors were detained, and later the Hungarian side adopted a separate law that allowed the seizure of currency and valuables from the collectors’ cars “for investigation”.
Ukrainian Ambassador to Hungary Fedir Sandor previously emphasized that in this case it is important not only to return the property, but also to bring the perpetrators to justice.
