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Hungary has blocked 50 billion euros in EU aid to Ukraine, just hours after European Union leaders agreed to open membership talks with Ukraine, something Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban had vowed for weeks to do. blocked.
"Night shift summary: veto on extra money in Ukraine", Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said after Thursday's talks in Brussels.
EU leaders said aid negotiations would resume early next year. Ukraine is heavily dependent on EU and US funding as it continues to fight Russian occupation forces.
The aid freeze was announced by Orban shortly after EU leaders decided to open membership talks with Ukraine and Moldova and grant candidate status to Georgia.
Commenting on Mr Orban's opposition to aid, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said: We still have some time, Ukraine is not out of money in the coming weeks.
We agreed with 26 countries. Hungary's Viktor Orban was not yet able to do so. I am quite confident that we can reach an agreement early next year. We are thinking about the end of January".
At a news conference in the early hours of Friday, Michel confirmed that all but one EU leader had agreed on the aid package and broader budget proposals for the bloc, although Sweden still needed to be consulted. with its parliament.
"We will return to this issue early next year and try to reach unanimity, he said.
Hungary, which maintains close ties with Russia, has long opposed Ukraine's membership but did not veto the move. Orban left the negotiating room for now in what officials described as a pre-agreed and constructive manner, while the other 26 leaders went ahead with the vote on 14 December. A spokesman for Charles Michel, president of the European Council, said the agreement had been unanimous. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed the EU's decision on membership talks as a "victory".
Ukraine is also desperately seeking passage of a $61 billion U.S. defense aid package — but that decision is also being delayed by major disagreements between Democratic and Republican lawmakers. The US Senate may vote on aid to Ukraine and Israel next week. Negotiations with Republicans on an agreement on a package of measures to strengthen security on the border with Mexico are progressing, giving hope for a deal to unblock aid to Kiev. Republicans have linked immigration and funding to Ukraine in an effort to pressure Biden to act.
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