Hungary blocked the decision at the European Union summit EU on economic assistance to Ukraine in the amount of 50 billion euros.
On the night of Friday December 15, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban wrote on the X network:
“Results of the night shift: veto on additional money for Ukraine. We will return to this issue at the European Council next year, when we are properly prepared.”
Charles Michel, head of the European Council, confirmed that EU leaders were unable to agree on including assistance to Ukraine in the EU budget plan, but will return to this issue early next year. One country opposed the majority opinion, Michel emphasized, without naming it, as quoted by AFP:
“I don’t want to go into detail because I want to work with colleagues in the coming days, in the coming weeks, to prepare for the summit that will take place next year, early next year.”
Michel emphasized writes “European truth” that the topic of the discussion, which lasted late into the night, was not only the financing of Ukraine. EU leaders were offered a “mega package” for adoption, which included funding to support Ukraine, expenses for migration programs, and funding for the EU Solidarity Fund and Defense:
“Only one state could not agree to this decision… The remaining 26 leaders agreed to this “mega-package”, including one Sweden, whose prime minister, according to internal procedures, must discuss this decision with parliament, but, as I expect, will then join the others “.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte commented:
“I am cautiously optimistic that we will be able to achieve a breakthrough, together with Hungary, early next year.”
However, as Michel emphasized, the package was not rejected, but postponed: the leaders agreed on an extraordinary summit that will be devoted to this issue. “We will return to this issue at the very beginning of next year and try to get unanimity to make the implementation of this package possible,” said the President of the European Council. According to sources, we are talking about a summit in early January.
While it has not yet been announced what will happen with 24 billion in military aid to Ukraine, the EU intends to include this amount in the budget in addition to 54 billion in economic assistance to Ukraine.
On Thursday 14 December, the first day of the summit, EU leaders officially decided start negotiations on the accession to the EU of Ukraine and Moldova). The Hungarian Prime Minister did not interfere, although he continued to say that Ukraine was not ready to start negotiations, writes Air Force.
The opening of negotiations, as is known, requires the consent of all EU leaders, including Hungary, which until recently declared resistance to such a decision. On Thursday morning, key leaders tried to convince Orban of the need to support Ukraine. After that, he said that he was not against Ukraine joining the EU, but “saw no reason” for negotiations. According to reports from EU circles, the decision was made when Viktor Orban was absent from the meeting room. Nevertheless, the quorum of the European Council was observed.
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