Hungary blocked approval of an 18 billion-euro financial aid package for Ukraine, prompting accusations from other European Union members that Prime Minister Viktor Orban is abusing his veto power.
The package, worth approximately $18.9 billion, would have provided funds for Ukraine to maintain its strong defense against invasion by Russia. Orban’s vote forces other European nations to find alternative means to continue supporting Ukraine.
The European Union decided to withhold $7.5 billion in funding for Hungary over fraud and corruption concerns. Orban’s critics believe he blocked the proposed funds from Ukraine in order to pressure the rest of the bloc to release the funds.
The EU requires unanimity to send money to Ukraine through the bloc’s channels, but individual nations can also do it on their own, although it is more complicated to coordinate the effort.
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“Viktor Orban is abusing the veto like no one before him… He even takes funds for Ukrainian hospitals hostage for this,” said Daniel Freund, a member of the Green Party and parliamentary negotiator on the rule of law issue. “Viktor Orban couldn’t have given Putin a better gift today.”
Viktor Orban has been Prime Minister of Hungary since 2010.
(Zoltan Mathe/MTI via AP)
But Freund insisted that “the EU will find ways to support Ukraine even without Hungary. But that means: more time, more effort, more costs.”
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Orban denied that his veto had anything to do with the dispute over funds and was instead a statement about how the EU should operate, saying that reports of a veto were “fake news. Hungary is ready to provide financial assistance to Ukraine, bilaterally”. base.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers a speech during a plenary session at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France, Wednesday, December 15, 2021. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says omicron is expected to be the dominant coronavirus variant in the 27-nation bloc by mid-January.
(Julien Warnand, pool photo via AP)
He insisted that the method proposed by the bloc to deliver aid “is not the solution.”
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“If we continue down the path towards a debt community, we will not be able to turn back,” he added without elaborating.
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Czech Finance Minister Zbyněk Stanjura told reporters: “Whether it’s Plan A or Plan B, whatever the price,” Europe must ensure that the money reaches Ukraine in early January.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
