© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban attends a European Union leaders summit, in Brussels, Belgium December 14, 2023. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photograph
By Krisztina Than and Gabriela Baczynska
BUDAPEST/BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Friday stood by his resolution to veto a 50-billion-euro ($54.94 billion) EU assist bundle for Ukraine and mentioned he may nonetheless halt Kyiv’s accession to the bloc after membership talks got the inexperienced mild.
At a summit in Brussels on Thursday, different European Union leaders bypassed objections from Orban by getting him to go away the room whereas they took the historic step of agreeing to start out accession negotiations with a rustic at battle.
However they may not overcome resistance from Orban – who maintains shut ties to Russia – to a revamp of the bloc’s funds to channel very important monetary help to Ukraine and supply additional cash for different EU priorities resembling managing migration.
The breakthrough on a membership path got here at a essential time for Ukraine with its counter-offensive towards Russian invasion forces having did not make main beneficial properties and with U.S. President Joe Biden thus far unable to get a $60 billion bundle for Kyiv by means of the U.S. Congress.
Orban informed state radio on Friday that he needed to block the help bundle to Ukraine – a part of a broader multi-year funds plan – to verify Hungary will get the funds it desires from the EU funds.
“I have always said that if someone wants to modify the budget – and they want to – then it is a great opportunity for Hungary to make it clear that it must get what it is entitled to. Not half of it, or one-fourth,” he mentioned.
The EU leaders ended talks on the monetary bundle, which requires unanimity, within the early hours of Friday morning and mentioned they’d strive once more in January, with some voicing optimism a deal could possibly be clinched then.
If there is no such thing as a deal at the moment, member states may additionally present assist individually or strike separate offers.
As for the choice to agree to start out membership talks with Ukraine, hailed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as a victory for Ukraine and Europe, Orban harassed the talks can be very lengthy – and Hungary may nonetheless block the method later.
“This is a bad decision,” the nationalist Hungarian chief mentioned. “Hungary bears no responsibility for this, we can halt this process later on, and if needed we will pull the brakes, and the ultimate decision will be made by Hungarian parliament.”
The information on the financing struck a bittersweet notice for Ukraine, coming simply hours after leaders agreed to open membership talks.
Though membership would probably be a few years away, the choice on the Brussels summit takes Ukraine a step nearer to its long-term strategic aim of anchoring itself within the West and liberating itself from Russia’s orbit.
EU leaders had been set to reconvene on Friday to debate different matters together with the Israel-Hamas battle.
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