Financial aid to Ukraine, worth 50 billion euros, was blocked by Hungary at the European Council, but the other European Union countries hope to reach a consensus in the coming weeks or bypass Viktor Orbán’s position. “A new meeting will take place at the beginning of the new year and we as the Commission will use the time until then to ensure that whatever happens at the next summit, we will have a working solution,” assured Ursula von der. Leyen at a conference press in Brussels.
According to Charles Michel, President of the Council, the next meeting on the 27th, which will discuss the review of the multi-annual budget and the financial reserve in support of Ukraine, should take place at the end of January or beginning of February and it is expected that by that time the position of Budapest will change. “We have achieved something very important: concluding an agreement of 26. And that is why I am convinced that during the Belgian presidency we will count on the good work of the Prime Minister over the next six months [Alexander] de Croo to reach this agreement at the age of 27,” said Pedro Sánchez, who heads the rotating presidency of the EU Council until the end of the year.
The positive tone was also emphasized by the German Chancellor. Olaf Scholz said he was “reasonably optimistic” about reaching a consensus, while Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar left the hypothesis of “an alternative solution” hanging in the air, which could involve bilateral deals with Kiev.
Orbán claimed a lack of “adequate preparation” to veto Ukraine’s financing. Von der Leyen guarantees a “functional solution” at the next summit.
The Hungarian Prime Minister, who hours earlier had allowed the opening of negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the 27-year-old by leaving the room at the time of the vote, did not pass the budget revision, which assumes 50 billion euros for Kiev in the course of the elections. four years (17 billion in grants and the rest in loans). Summary of the night shift: veto on extra money for Ukraine and veto on revision of the MFF [Quadro Financeiro Plurianual]. We will return to the issue at the European Council next year, after adequate preparation,” Orbán wrote in X.
Putin’s ally did not explain what he believes is European unpreparedness, but it could be related to money and nothing more. Hours before the start of the Council meeting, the Commission announced the release of 10.2 billion euros for Budapest after registering partial reforms in the Hungarian legal system, and Orbán did not veto the opening of negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova. But another 21 billion are on hold thanks to the Hungarian leader’s authoritarian drift, and he wants the whole pie. “I have always said that if anyone wants to table an amendment to the EU budget (…) Hungary would take the opportunity to clearly demand what it deserves. Not half, not a quarter, but the whole,” he said to the Magyar state. radio.
The person who was happy with Orbán’s position was the Kremlin spokesman. Dmitry Peskov praised Hungary for “resolutely defending its interests”, then regretted the opening of the EU to former Soviet countries, finding the measure “politicized” and aimed at “irritating Russia and antagonizing these countries towards Russia” .
Source: DN
