Hungary blocks military aid to Ukraine over listing of Hungarian bank

By JUSTIN SPIKE
Associated Press

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungary’s government says it will continue to block the disbursement of a new tranche of European Union military support to Ukraine until Kyiv removes a Hungarian bank from a list of international sponsors of Russia’s war. Hungary’s foreign minister said Wednesday that Ukraine’s recent listing of OTP Bank was “scandalous and unacceptable.” He said that Hungary wouldn’t approve the release of 500 million euros ($543 million) to Kyiv until the bank is removed from the list. Relations between Hungary and Ukraine have been strained by Budapest’s refusal to supply Kyiv with weapons or to allow their transfer across the countries’ shared border. Hungary’s foreign minister suggested that the government would move to block further EU sanctions on Russia unless Ukraine delists OTP Bank.