Hungary represented at lowest level at conference on reparations for Ukraine

Hungary has not withdrawn from participation in the diplomatic conference on compensation for Ukraine, but it will be represented at the lowest level among all participants.

The conference, during which states will formally sign a convention establishing a compensation commission for Ukraine, will take place in The Hague on Tuesday 16 December. Delegations from 52 countries from Europe, North and South America and Asia, as well as Australia and the EU Delegation, are expected to attend. However, not all of them will sign the convention on 16 December.

The European Union supports the process of preparing to seek reparations from Russia for Ukraine, and therefore delegations from all 27 EU member states will be present at the diplomatic conference in The Hague. Some will be represented at ministerial level or by senior foreign ministry officials, while others will attend at the level of ambassadors or heads of diplomatic missions, including those authorised to sign international treaties.

Against this backdrop, Hungary's representation stands out.

The country will be represented by Enikő Petőházi, Second Counsellor responsible for Multilateral Affairs at the Hungarian Embassy in The Hague – a relatively low-ranking diplomat to head a delegation. She ranks third among the embassy's civilian staff. No other participating country, including those from Latin America, is represented at such a low level.

As previously reported, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived in the Netherlands to take part in the conference. European leaders have also issued a joint statement stressing the need for compensation for the damage suffered by Ukraine.