Hungary has blocked the seventh tranche of EU financial aid for armaments for Ukraine.
This was reported by RMF FM with reference to an unnamed EU diplomat.
It is about €500 million from the Peace Fund, from which EU countries finance lethal weapons and means of protection for Ukraine.
However, the EU countries are determined to put pressure on Budapest during the meeting of EU foreign ministers. Until now, Hungary, which itself does not supply weapons to Ukraine, has abstained from voting when making decisions regarding the next tranches.
EU diplomats are outraged by the Hungarian veto, because it has no justification.
The publication writes that the EU has a "plan B", as in the case of blocking macro-financial assistance. The EU then passed a legal act that would allow this aid to be delivered bypassing Hungary, and that was enough for Hungary to relent.
If Budapest does not give up its veto on supporting arms for Ukraine, the EU may take this decision again.
"It is difficult for a small pro-Russian state, which has exemptions from all sanctions, to dictate the position of the entire EU," an EU diplomat told reporters.
- The European Commission presented a plan to provide macro-financial assistance to Ukraine in 2023 in the total amount of €18 billion on November 9. Hungary declared that it does not support this plan.
- These funds will help support the main functions of the state, ensure macroeconomic stability and restore critical infrastructure. The €18 billion package will cover half of Ukraineʼs needs. These funds will be allocated €1.5 billion each month. The loan that will be provided to Ukraine will have a 10-year grace period. EU member states will cover the bulk of the interest costs at the expense of externally assigned revenues. Guarantees for this loan will be provided either from the EU budget or from the forces of the member states.