- European Union leaders are convening for a summit to address Hungary’s veto of a $54 billion war aid package for Ukraine because of its close ties to Russia.
- The war in Ukraine is currently at a stalemate, and Ukraine is facing dire financial difficulties and is in need of urgent financial aid.
- Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán remains opposed to the aid package, citing concerns about continued Russian aggression.
European Union leaders at Thursday’s summit will focus on Hungary, one of the member states blocking a $54 billion war aid package against Ukraine. Hungary is the country with the closest ties to the EU and Russia.
Nearly two years after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine, the war has reached a virtual stalemate and Ukraine is in dire need of financial aid.
In an invitation to the 27-nation bloc’s leaders, Charles Michel, President of the Council of the European Union, said: “Securing an agreement is vital to our credibility and we need to ensure, in particular, our firm support for Ukraine. “This is critical to our promise to deliver.”
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This aid requires unanimous support. However, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán vetoed it at the last summit in December and continues to oppose it.
Rescue workers work at the scene of a building damaged by a Russian rocket attack in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on January 23, 2024. At Thursday’s summit, European Union leaders will focus on Hungary, the only member state blocking a $54 billion war aid package against Ukraine. Ukraine. (AP Photo/Andriy Mariyenko)
“There was still some time in December, but according to international financial institutions, Ukraine will start facing difficulties from March onwards,” a senior EU diplomat warned ahead of the meeting in Brussels. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with EU practice.
For most EU countries, supporting Ukraine is critical to protecting the EU from the Russian threat and maintaining its credibility on the world stage.
French President Emmanuel Macron: “Ukraine is on European soil and is a European country. And if we want a peaceful and stable Europe, we can rely on our neighbors for our security and defense.” It has to exist.”
Prime Minister Orban has repeatedly angered EU leaders since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. He criticized the EU’s sanctions against Russia, which he said have little effect and are counterproductive. He said he promoted peace talks between Moscow and Kiev, but did not elaborate on what that would mean for Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
However, at the last EU summit, Prime Minister Orban did not prevent the EU from starting accession negotiations with Ukraine.
Concerned about democratic backsliding under Orbán’s government, the EU has frozen Hungary’s access to tens of billions of euros in funding. Hungary responded to its economic concerns by vetoing some EU political decisions.
Instead of canceling new aid to Ukraine, Prime Minister Orbán proposed dividing the aid into annual installments and introducing a review mechanism. However, this idea has not gained much acceptance as it would allow Prime Minister Orbán to block the funds later.
Even if the stalemate continues, Ukraine will not suddenly be stripped of EU aid. The EU diplomat said leaders would try to avoid any impact on Ukraine in the short term.
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The other 26 countries could voluntarily decide to take aid out of the EU budget. However, this is not their preferred option as it would require approval from multiple parliaments and would increase uncertainty.
A more likely scenario is for EU leaders to extend by one year the $19.5 billion in financial aid they provided to Ukraine in a separate program in 2023 and supplement it with additional loans. This means that it can be adopted by a qualified majority, and Hungary cannot block it.
According to EU statistics, total EU aid to Ukraine since the start of the war has totaled about $92 billion. This includes more than $43 billion in economic aid for Ukraine, about $29.2 billion in military aid measures, and more than $18.4 billion for EU member states to help Ukrainians fleeing the war.
