Orban admits EU could allocate €50 bln Ukraine aid without Hungary’s approval

The EU may override Hungary's veto of a joint aid package to Ukraine at a summit in early 2024 through a separate agreement, Bloomberg reports.

The EU is looking for ways to overcome Hungary's intransigent stance after talks on a €50 billion aid package for Ukraine failed at a summit last week.

A potential fallback option that has been suggested is for EU member states to send money to Kyiv outside the EU budget process.

This option, as stated by Orban, could be viable.

"It is not a question of Hungary's will being circumvented in many areas," Orban told reporters in Budapest. – "Others also have this possibility in this area."

Any Ukraine aid should be for a shorter period than the current offer, Orban said, adding that this issue should be considered separately from the disputes over EU funding for Hungary..

At the EU leaders' summit in Brussels on December 14, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban unexpectedly softened on Ukraine's accession to the EU after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz persuaded him to leave the room to have coffee. Orban actually abstained after making it clear for weeks that he would resist any move at the start of the negotiations.

A few hours later, he spoiled Kyiv's moment of celebration-and delighted the Kremlin-by vetoing a four-year, €50 billion financial aid package. As the Financial Times notes, even by Orban's standards, this was a drastic move that baffled his partners. His refusal to compromise on a key EU security issue has alarmed even those who have argued with him for years.

According to the FT, on the eve of the summit, EU leaders were struggling to understand what exactly Orban wanted. Was he following orders from Russian President Vladimir Putin, or was he trying to force Brussels to unblock frozen funds?

Orban and his allies have repeatedly stated that his opposition to aid to Ukraine is not related to EU funding for Hungary. But as the summit drew to a close, he finally named his price: repayment of the remaining €20 billion.

"This is a great opportunity for Hungary to make it clear that it must get everything that is due to it," Orban said.

The EU approved a €10 billion bailout for Hungary last week. However, any further disbursement is likely to face stiff resistance. The other €20 billion is being withheld under a separate procedure that gives Brussels the necessary leverage.

The issue of aid to Ukraine will be discussed at a separate EU summit in early February.

To approve an agreement on a €50 billion aid package for Ukraine in 2024-2027, EU member states are considering stripping Hungary of its voting rights.