Ukraine might soon abolish its list of ‘sponsors of war’ under increasing international pressure, as reported by Euractiv. Kyiv established the list shortly after the outbreak of the conflict, comprising companies believed to be directly or indirectly funding Russia’s war efforts. Being on the list does not entail legal repercussions; rather, Ukrainians aim to appeal to the companies’ conscience, urging them to reconsider their business ties with Russia out of a sense of moral responsibility.
For a long time, the largest Hungarian bank, OTP, was also on the list of the Ukrainian National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP), causing significant tension between Kyiv and Budapest. Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó has repeatedly urged Ukrainian decision-makers to remove OTP from the list, yet this action has not happened for a long period despite his appeals. ‘It is scandalous that Ukraine has included OTP, which has not violated any laws, on the list of international sponsors of the war.
According to the official Ukrainian explanation, the Hungarian bank was included on the list because
‘OTP Bank is among the 50 largest banks in Russia. OTP Bank serves more than 2.2 million customers and is represented in more than 1,850 cities in Russia. In 2020, Russian OTP Bank contributed about 190 million roubles to the budget of the aggressor state. OTP Bank not only officially recognises the so-called “people’s republics” of Donetsk and Luhansk, but also provides preferential credit terms to the Russian army, i.e. effectively rewards war crimes committed.’
OTP swiftly refuted the allegations, asserting that the
bank holds merely a 0.17 per cent market share in Russia, indicating its insignificance in the Russian banking sector.
Furthermore, OTP clarified that it does not conduct any business operations in the Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia, contrary to the Ukrainian accusations.
After extensive debate, in October 2023, OTP was ultimately removed from the list of sponsors of the war. ‘During recent discussions with the European Union External Action Service, OTP Bank has made several commitments regarding its future activities in the Russian market. Fulfilling its part of the agreement, the National Anti-Corruption Agency has removed the bank from the list of international sponsors of the war. The NACP anticipates the bank’s immediate compliance with the terms of the agreement,’ the NACP stated in a press release.
It appears that several other countries are growing weary of Ukraine’s denigration tactics.
China, France, and Austria, among others, are now demanding that Kyiv permanently abolish the list. The majority of companies listed are Chinese, with the United States ranking second, followed by France and Germany tied for third place.
The demise of the name-and-shame campaign, if it happens, would be indicative of how Kyiv may have to soften its stance as it becomes harder to maintain global support for its war effort more than two years into the full-scale invasion.
‘It’s China, but not only China,’ said one person with direct knowledge of the matter to Euractiv, also alluding to pressure from France to remove retailer Auchan and Leroy Merlin, a home improvement and gardening retailer, from the list.
The Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers declared on Wednesday its intention to remove the list of war sponsors from the official NACP website (still accessible at the time of writing). However, the fate of the database remains uncertain. According to two sources, there is a possibility that the list, compiled by the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP), might be transferred to the jurisdiction of the Ukrainian military intelligence agency for maintenance.
In such a scenario, it remains unclear whether the list would continue to be publicly available.
Related articles:
