Hungary has repeatedly stood in the way of financial and military support for Ukraine. Before the special EU summit, the country submitted its own proposal to Brussels.
In the dispute over a planned European Union aid package for Ukraine, Hungary is signaling a willingness to compromise shortly before a special summit. The government in Budapest is now open to financing the proposed 50 billion euro package through the EU budget under certain conditions, said Balazs Orban, chief political advisor to Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Hungary submitted a corresponding proposal to Brussels on Saturday. However, details are not yet known.
At the same time, however, Hungary’s Minister for EU Affairs, Janos Boka, accused Brussels of blackmail. The reason was an article in the Financial Times, according to which the EU could take steps against Hungary’s economy if the EU member continued to block the planned aid to Ukraine at the summit on Thursday. However, an EU spokesman rejected such plans. There is no connection to the negotiations; the paper cited was written “by the Council Secretariat under its own responsibility”.
Orban agreed earlier this month to support Ukraine if the funds were separated from the EU budget and reviewed annually.
Special summit should Budget dispute solve
Orban had repeatedly sharply criticized the EU’s financial and military support for Ukraine. Despite Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, he continues to maintain close relations with the Kremlin. At an EU summit in December, he opposed an EU budget that would also have included aid to Ukraine. Therefore, the special summit was scheduled for Thursday.