Ukraine’s Ambassador on Hungary’s new veto: EU has red lines that cannot be crossed

Vsevolod Chentsov, the Ambassador of Ukraine to the EU, believes that Hungary will not be able to blackmail the entire European Union with its right of veto in joint decisions, in particular those concerning Ukraine. Source: Chentsov in an interview to European Pravda  The diplomat believes that in the end Hungary will not block the allocation of additional military aid to Ukraine, which it currently plans to block, and the EU will find ways to approve this decision because Budapest's ability to use its veto right is not entirely unlimited.

"Like all EU member states, Hungary is trying to protect its interests. But quite often, it tries to do this at the expense of others, including Ukraine, and Ukraine becomes a hostage to these difficult situations within the EU. So they can try to block anything.

Do they have the ability to do this? This is always a balancing act. If you cross certain red lines, you are no longer perceived and you find yourself in isolation," Vsevolod Chentsov noted.

He recalled that when Hungary blocked the approval of EUR18 billion in macro-financial aid for Ukraine, the member states were, perhaps not for the first time, able to develop a preventive instrument that would allow Ukraine to be given aid anyway, if Hungary had gone to the end and promised a solution by the most convenient mechanism.

In his opinion, Budapest cannot block further European sanctions against Russia without rational arguments. "There have already been attempts by Hungary to put a question mark on the extension of sanctions against a group of individuals and Russian oligarchs. This attempt failed.

Of course, there is still a decision to be made, but it shows that Hungary has no real arguments for why they are opposed to the extension of such sanctions. The 'I don't want' argument is not how it works in the EU. The state must prove why such a decision is important not only for it but also for the entire EU, justify it and win a majority.

I think it is doomed to failure," noted Vsevolod Chentsov.

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