The leaders of the European Union (EU) will meet in an extraordinary European Council on February 1 to try to reach an agreement on the financial reserve to support Ukraine, included in the review of the multiannual budget, it was announced this Monday.
The information was provided by the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, at a press conference in Brussels, together with the Prime Minister of Belgium, Alexander De Croo, on the Belgian six-month presidency of the Council of the EU, which begins on January 1 .
On the occasion, Charles Michel stressed that it was “important to make decisions on financial matters and that is why this summit is necessary.”
“We realized that on Thursday and Friday [da semana passada] “Hungary needs a little more time to be able to make a unanimous decision,” added the official, alluding to the Hungarian blockade in relation to the review of the EU’s multiannual budget, within which there is a financial reserve of 50 billion euros. euros. to support the reconstruction and modernization of Ukraine.
After underlining that “the signal has been given within the framework of enlargement”, following the approval of the opening of formal negotiations with Ukraine at last week’s summit, Charles Michel highlighted the need to “continue working to respond to financial support fiance”.
“We are determined to work hard with 27 Member States to convince Hungary precisely on the financial aspect and this does not refer only to support for Ukraine, but is a more complete package because we also have funds to respond to migration, in the field internal and external dimension, to give more money to European solidarity when we collectively face natural disasters, but also to invest in our European defense (…) and in other important aspects” such as cohesion, financial flexibility and transitions digital climate change, he listed.
Alexander De Croo noted that, although there was no agreement on financial aid to kyiv, “a big step has been taken” and, he stressed, “we will work together to ensure that we can reach an agreement between 27 countries.”
Also on Friday, Charles Michel stated, in a conversation with several European journalists in Brussels, including the Lusa agency, that the EU has “several tools in its pocket” to move forward with financial support for Ukraine, currently provided for in the current budget. long term. , in the face of a possible new Hungarian blockade.
Also that day, Prime Minister António Costa stated that the financial reserve of 50 billion euros to support Ukraine will have a “green light” in early 2024 with or without Hungary, indicating that he expects “negotiating efforts.”
On the first day of the European Council, which ended early last Thursday after 16 hours of negotiations, it was not possible to reach an agreement on the review of the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2024-2027, in which a financial reserve of 50 thousand million euros in support of the reconstruction and modernization of Ukraine.
In this debate, which requires unanimity among European leaders, the same amount of 17 billion euros in subsidies for the modernization and reconstruction of Ukraine will be used, from a financial reserve of 50 billion euros (which still has 33 billion euros in loans), which the community executive had proposed.
The greatest difficulties in the negotiation of the MFF are related to the Hungarian position, which challenges the suspension of community funds to Budapest due to lack of respect for the rule of law and the payment of interest from the Recovery Fund, the amounts of which were also suspended.
The EU is discussing the revision of the budget for the period 2024-2027, within which a financial reserve is planned for the next four years, with loans and subsidies for the reconstruction of post-war Ukraine, an amount that will be mobilized based on the situation on the ground.
The Russian military offensive on Ukrainian territory, launched on February 24 of last year, plunged Europe into what is considered the most serious security crisis since the Second World War (1939-1945).
Source: TSF
