Russian President Vladimir Putin has released two prisoners of war, who hold both Hungarian and Ukrainian nationality, to Hungary. The handover occurred during a visit by Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó to Moscow.
The two individuals, who had fought with the Ukrainian army, were held in Russian captivity. They departed on the Hungarian government's aircraft following Szijjártó's discussions with Putin.
Earlier, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had requested the release of Hungarian nationals from Putin via a telephone conversation. Putin confirmed the decision during Szijjártó's subsequent visit.
"These are citizens who have both Ukrainian and Hungarian citizenship. They were forcibly conscripted to the front, and we decided to allow them to take two people with them on the plane the minister arrived on and will return home on," Putin stated.
This follows a 2023 release where Russia freed 11 Hungarian nationals after a request from the Hungarian government.
Beyond the prisoner exchange, the Hungarian delegation also addressed energy imports from Russia. Hungary remains one of the few EU member states still importing pipeline oil and natural gas from Russia.
"Hungary has received a guarantee that Russia will deliver the natural gas and crude oil needed to supply our country at unchanged prices, despite the international energy crisis," Szijjártó commented from Moscow.
The Hungarian government has publicly criticized what it terms the forced conscription of Hungarian nationals into the Ukrainian military. Ukraine hosts approximately 100,000 ethnic Hungarians, primarily in the Transcarpathian region, many of whom also possess Hungarian passports.
Budapest has a history of diplomatic disagreements with Kyiv, including disputes over the Druzhba oil pipeline and opposition to Ukraine's European Union accession bid. Hungary is also preparing for its parliamentary elections in April, where the war in Ukraine is anticipated to be a key campaign issue.