Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has once again blocked the EU aid package for Ukraine in the amount of €50 billion. This happened a few hours after the decision to start negotiations on Kyivʼs accession to the bloc.
The Guardian writes about it.
Viktor Orbán informed about his decision in X, saying: "The conclusion of the evening shift: a veto on additional money for Ukraine... We will return to this issue next year in the Eurocouncil after proper preparation."
The other 26 EU leaders agreed to return to the debate early next year to try to reach an agreement on aid to Kyiv. According to Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, all countries except Hungary have agreed to provide this €50 billion.
Viktor Orban claimed that Ukraine should not receive large sums from the budget of the European Union, since it is not part of the bloc. At the same time, other leaders assured that they would be able to help Ukraine without Hungaryʼs consent, but then the money would not come from the EU budget.
The Hungarian prime minister has been criticized for blocking aid to Ukraine, trying to get Brussels to make concessions and unblock money for Hungary, despite concerns about the countryʼs rule of law. For example, on the eve of the EU summit, the European Commission unfroze €10 billion for Hungary. Orbán refuses to recognize the interdependence between money for his country and his stance on supporting Ukraine.
- Earlier, the European Commission excluded Hungary from the economic stimulus program to overcome the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic due to signs of corruption and the Orbán governmentʼs departure from the principles of the rule of law. In response, Hungary effectively vetoed the EUʼs decision to provide Ukraine with €50 billion in economic aid until 2027.