What Hungary's returned Oschadbank assets and a tribunal vote signalled
A look back at two developments in Ukraine's external relations reported in the first week of May 2026.
What did the first week of May 2026 show about Ukraine's standing abroad? On 7 May 2026, two recent developments framed the question: the return of seized Oschadbank assets by Hungary, and a European Parliament vote on accountability for the war.
Assets returned
On 6 May 2026, Ukraine's president announced that Hungary had returned the cash and gold seized from Oschadbank. The outgoing Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbán, had ordered the government to keep the cash and gold for 60 days. The announcement closed that episode in Hungary–Ukraine relations, and it came as Orbán was leaving office.
A push for a tribunal
A few days earlier, on 1 May 2026, the European Parliament adopted a resolution supporting the establishment of a special tribunal to prosecute Russian leaders for crimes related to the war in Ukraine. The same resolution called for sanctions to remain in place until a peace agreement is fully implemented.
The tribunal idea rests on the argument that the invasion is a crime of aggression. Ukraine's and Russia's own criminal codes define such a crime, although procedural obstacles exist to prosecutions under those laws. The proposed Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine was conceived as an ad hoc international criminal tribunal to prosecute individuals responsible for the invasion, complementing the existing International Criminal Court investigation in Ukraine.
Reading the two together
The two items belong to different tracks. One was a bilateral matter settled with a neighbouring government. The other was a statement of political intent by a European institution on justice and pressure on Russia. Together they showed Kyiv gaining on a practical financial question while European backing for long-term accountability and continued sanctions was set out in a formal resolution. The resolution expressed support; it did not itself create a tribunal.
