Orbán blocks EU €50 billion budget spending for Ukraine
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has blocked the adoption of the EU budget decision, including a medium-term aid program for Ukraine.
Source: European Pravda citing President of the European Council Charles Michel at the end of the talks among the EU leaders, which lasted until late at night
Details: Michel emphasised that the topic of the discussion was not only the financing of Ukraine. EU leaders were offered a "mega package" for approval, which included funding for support to Ukraine, migration program spending, and the EU Solidarity Fund and defence.
Quote: "Only one country failed to agree to this decision ... The remaining 26 leaders agreed to this 'mega package', including Sweden, whose prime minister has to discuss the decision with the parliament according to internal procedures. Still, I expect them to join after that."
Details: Michel, responding to European Pravda's questions, confirmed the assumption that the 27th leader who did not agree was Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán. "I understand you are very well informed about our discussion," he half-jokingly commented.
Background:
- Orban previously promised to block the beginning of accession negotiations with Ukraine but later allowed this decision to be made. This did not happen when they voted on finance.
- However, as Michel emphasised, the "mega package" was not rejected but postponed as the leaders agreed on an additional summit devoted to this issue. "We will return to this issue at the very beginning of next year and try to reach unanimity to make the implementation of this mega-package possible," Michel said. Sources noted that he was talking about the summit already at the beginning of January.
- During a summit in Brussels, European Union leaders approved the European Commission's recommendation to open accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova and agreed on the 12th package of sanctions against Russia.
- However, Orbán's representatives later warned that Ukraine must overcome the Hungarian veto 70 more times if it wants to join the EU.
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