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EU heads of state and government meet in Brussels on Thursday for a special summit to give the green light to aid for Ukraine. So far they have been blocked by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
It is about an EU aid package of 50 billion euros for Ukraine for the next four years. With this, the EU seeks to save Ukraine, attacked by Russia, from economic collapse. In December, the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban blocked with his veto a decision of the EU summit on aid to Ukraine. At the Thursday (01.02.) summit, the other 26 heads of state and government of the EU hope that Orbán will make way. Before the summit, the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, said that he will work hard to reach an agreement on aid for Ukraine.
Viktor Orban has publicly argued that instead of sending more money to Ukraine to finance this war, the EU should commit to ending it. But it was known in Brussels that Orban used the aid for Ukraine more as a means of pressure. He intended to get the money blocked by the EU for Hungary. Even Orban partially affirmed this strategy. Even successfully. Just one day before the last summit, the European Commission gave the green light for 10 billion for Hungary, funds that had been blocked due to problems with the rule of law in Hungary. But that was not enough for Orbán, who continued to block the summit in December. Only for Ukraine to get the green light to open negotiations with the EU, Orban indirectly issued a pe at the December summit. It was a diplomatic trick. Viktor Orban left the hall at the moment of voting. The German chancellor then admitted that this measure only applies to certain moments, and is not a standard EU procedure.
Viktor Orban's new condition for aid to Ukraine
But for the 50 billion for Ukraine, such a maneuver is not enough. For this, all 27 EU member states are needed to be ready for their provision. If Orban sticks to the blockade, there are two possibilities. The 26 EU member states decide to provide aid to Ukraine, but in a complicated procedure outside the EU budget. Such a procedure would take a long time. The other way: All 26 member states accept Orban's new condition. According to the Hungarian Prime Minister, aid to Ukraine can be given, but it must be decided every year. This would allow Orbán to veto it every year when it comes up. There is one last way, more extreme measures to circumvent Orbán's blockade of aid. All 26 EU member states would remove Hungary's right to vote in such a reast, such an annulment at the EU level would be done for the first time in the history of the union. But many countries view such a step with skepticism.
Germany demands more aid from EU countries for Ukraine
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at this summit is expected to ask other EU partners to increase their military aid to Ukraine. Before the summit, Scholz emphasized that European countries should strengthen their efforts, and that everything cannot depend on Germany alone. "If we were the ones who had to do it primarily, it wouldn't be good for Ukraine." Germany has promised Kiev about 7 billion euros in aid this year, and according to Scholz, Germany is at the top of the list of military aid in the EU. The three most powerful EU economies after Germany, France, Italy and Spain are more reserved in terms of military aid to Ukraine. The three taken together amount to only a fraction of the military aid compared to Germany. According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy ifw, since the start of the war in February 2022, Germany has provided Ukraine with aid worth 17.1 billion euros. Spain is far behind with less than 1 billion euros, (0.9), Italy with 0.7 billion and France with 0.5 billion euros./DW
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