German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock criticized Hungary for blocking €18 billion in EU financial aid to Ukraine.
This is reported by Politico.
“We found ourselves in a situation where we are saving lives precisely with the financial support of Europe,” Baerbock said at a press conference in Berlin and called for the approval of the aid package “because winter is just around the corner”.
The European Commission proposed a €18 billion support package on November 9 to help Ukraine keep its economy afloat over the next year and rebuild critical infrastructure. According to three officials, at a meeting of EU ambassadors that day, Hungary said it could not support the aid package. This creates a potentially fatal obstacle, as money for Ukraine cannot be allocated without the support of all 27 EU countries — due to budgetary rules that require unanimity. A representative of the Permanent Mission of Hungary to the EU did not respond to a request for comment.
The day before, on November 8, Hungarian Finance Minister Mihaly Varga tried to justify his opposition to the EU aid package: “Hungary is ready to support Ukraine, but we donʼt want to contribute to any new loan that will be accepted by the EU.”
This position of Hungary caused disappointment in Brussels, Berlin, and other EU capitals. Four EU officials and diplomats told Politico that they see Budapestʼs blocking of aid to Ukraine as a blackmail tactic to secure more than €13 billion — the EU could suspend Hungary in December if the country does not address its problems with democracy and the rule of law.
- The presentation of the aid program was announced by the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. Hungary has declared that it will not support the new plan of the European Commission to support Ukraine.