EU disagrees with Hungary over terms of removing veto on €50 billion aid to Ukraine

Talks between European Union countries aimed at agreeing on aid for Ukraine later this week remain difficult, despite Hungary's willingness to compromise. Source: This was stated in a conversation with reporters by a senior EU official, reports European Pravda with reference to Reuters Quote: "We are not there yet," the EU official said on condition of anonymity, referring to preparations for the bloc's 27-member leaders' summit in Brussels on Thursday.

The official stated that the demands Budapest made of the other EU members to lift its veto on the financial assistance to Kyiv were intolerable, as the EU increased pressure on Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to consent.

The official went on to say that Hungary's EU colleagues do not want to agree to an annual review of Kyiv's support because it would give Orban the right to veto the decision every time.

Background:

• Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban confirmed that Budapest sent a compromise agreement to Brussels last Saturday, which will unblock EUR50bn in EU funding for Ukraine.
• The Hungarian prime minister revealed that under the compromise, he will agree to release funding to Ukraine "if you guarantee that the decision to continue sending money will be reviewed every year".

  In practice, this will essentially give Hungary another opportunity to hold up aid every year.

• EU leaders will reaffirm their commitment to providing "timely, predictable and sustainable military support" to Ukraine in the future at the 2 February summit.
• The main topic of the Brussels summit is an attempt to reach an agreement on a package of four-year financial assistance to Ukraine in the amount of EUR50 billion, which Hungary blocked at the previous summit in December.
• Josep Borrell, Head of the EU Foreign Policy Department, stated on 22 January that Ukrainians should not worry about a possible decrease in EU support.

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