Hungary said on Friday it had received a group of Ukrainian prisoners of war from Russia, a release that Ukraine welcomed but also expressed concern that it had not been informed, Reuters reported.
Hungarian government spokesman says it’s fake news that Budapest helped free prisoners
The prisoners of war were from the western part of Ukraine, where it borders Hungary, according to the Russian Orthodox Church, which said it helped with the release, and Hungarian Deputy Prime Minister Zholt Semien.
“This is my humane and patriotic duty”… I brought 11 prisoners of war from Transcarpathia from Moscow,” says a post on Semen’s official Facebook page.
The government of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has long supported the Russian Orthodox Church in Hungary and blocked proposals from other EU members to impose sanctions on the head of the Church, Patriarch Kirill.
In the message published on the website of the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church late on Thursday evening, it is said that “at the request of the Hungarian side, a group of Ukrainian prisoners of war of Transcarpathian origin, who took part in hostilities, was transferred to Hungary.”
Asked for comment on Friday morning, a Hungarian government spokesman told Reuters the claim was “fake news”. The press secretary could not be reached for comment later.
It is not clear what caused the apparent confusion in the Hungarian government.
Ukraine declares that it was not informed about the release of prisoners
Ukraine, which secured a back-to-back prisoner exchange with Russia through international mediation during Russia’s more than 15-month-long invasion, said it had not been informed of the prisoners’ release. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that they had appealed to the representative of Hungary in Ukraine with a request to grant them immediate access.
“The release of Ukrainian prisoners of war is always good news,” MFA spokesman Oleg Nikolenko wrote on Facebook, adding that the department “stressed the need to coordinate cooperation on such sensitive issues.”
Source: Hot News
James Springer is a renowned author and opinion writer, known for his bold and thought-provoking articles on a wide range of topics. He currently works as a writer at 247 news reel, where he uses his unique voice and sharp wit to offer fresh perspectives on current events. His articles are widely read and shared and has earned him a reputation as a talented and insightful writer.