Hungary hinders EU's allocation of €500 million for military support to Ukraine again
Hungary's stance has caused EU foreign ministers to once again fail to agree on a €500 million tranche from the European Peace Fund, which is used to support Ukraine's military, during their meeting on Monday, 23 October.
Source: Radio Liberty journalist Rikard Jozwiak on Twitter, as reported by European Pravda
Details: Joswiak noted that an agreement on the eighth tranche of €500 million from the European Peace Fund could not be reached due to Hungary's stance, which had previously blocked the decision because Ukraine had included the Hungarian OTP Bank in the list of international sponsors of the war.
"The Hungarian bank OTP has been de-listed from the 'doing business in Russia blacklist' but Budapest want[s] legal…assurances that this is permanent," the journalist says.
as expected no agreement on the 8th tranche (500 million) of EU military aid for 🇺🇦 when EU foreign ministers met today. the 🇭🇺 bank OTP has been de-listed from the "doing business in 🇷🇺 blacklist" but Budapest want legal as assurances that this is permanent
— Rikard Jozwiak (@RikardJozwiak) October 23, 2023
Background:
- In early October, Ukraine removed Hungary's OTP Bank from the list of "war sponsors", satisfying one of Budapest's key demands that Hungary would not participate in further EU funding for arms transfers to Ukraine until the financial institution was removed from the list.
- OTP Bank, as well as five Greek carriers accused by Kyiv of illegally transporting Russian oil to circumvent the price ceiling, were removed from the list of international sponsors of war.
- Last week, the EU expected Hungary to unblock the eighth tranche of military aid for Ukraine under the European Peace Fund.
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