On March 5, the acting chargé d’affaires of the Hungarian Embassy in Ukraine was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
The Ukrainian side stressed the unacceptable publicity and politicization of sensitive issues in connection with the transfer of several Ukrainian prisoners of war from Russian captivity to Hungary without any prior notification or coordination with Ukraine.
The return of people from captivity is Ukraine’s absolute priority, as evidenced by today’s return of 200 servicemen as part of exchanges. Work on this is ongoing across all possible platforms and with all partners capable of facilitating the release of Ukrainian servicemen and civilian hostages, regardless of their ethnicity.
The Ukrainian side reiterated its demand to ensure that the returned service members have the opportunity to contact Ukrainian consular staff to check their health, provide consular assistance, and guarantee the ability to freely determine their future without external pressure or coercion.
We expect from the Hungarian side a prompt response and an official confirmation that these individuals will be granted full freedom to choose their place of residence and future plans.
Next steps and the significance of cooperation
This event underscores the importance of close coordination between Ukraine and its partners on issues of releasing service members and providing consular support. The Ukrainian side emphasizes that people returning from captivity should have access to the necessary procedures and the opportunity to determine their own future freely, without any coercion.