Hungary urges EU to stop Ukraine aid after scandal
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó has urged the European Union to suspend financial assistance to Ukraine following a major corruption scandal at the state nuclear operator Energoatom, Reuters reports.
Szijjártó, widely considered a pro-Russian figure in European politics, criticized the European Commission’s plan to continue funding Ukraine, calling it “insane” in light of what he described as a “corrupt system” and a “war mafia” operating in the country, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
“There’s a war mafia, a corrupt system working in Ukraine, and then the European Commission president… instead of stopping the payments and demanding immediate financial clearance, she wants to send another 100 billion to Ukraine,” Szijjártó told the press.
The remarks follow the uncovering of a large-scale embezzlement operation at Energoatom, revealed on November 10 by Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau. The scandal involves former business associates of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, two Ukrainian ministers, and several other officials, with $100 million allegedly stolen.
In response, Ukraine has already taken action:
Herman Halushchenko, formerly suspended as justice minister, was officially dismissed by a 323-vote parliamentary decision on November 19.
Energy Minister Svitlana Grynchuk was also removed from office the same day.
Multiple investigations into the case remain ongoing.
Despite these steps, Szijjártó argued that Ukraine cannot rely on time to resolve corruption issues, saying, “The time is not on the side of Ukraine. It is an illusion to say that the time is on the side of Ukraine.”
The Energoatom scandal, dubbed Operation Midas, has intensified scrutiny over EU funds sent to Kyiv amid the ongoing conflict with Russia.
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