The European Union will be able to continue to provide financial assistance to Ukraine, even if Hungary is against it, said German government spokesman Christian Wagner.
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“You know that we have once again expanded our bilateral assistance and plan to provide military support worth eight billion euros next year. The EU will also continue to provide support to Ukraine in any case,” he said.
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Wagner recalled that at the EU summit in mid-December the issue of allocating 50 billion euros to Ukraine was discussed. However, then it was not possible to reach an agreement due to opposition from Hungary. At the beginning of next year, Germany will continue to actively promote the transfer of this assistance to Ukraine within the European Union, the representative of the Cabinet of Ministers emphasized.
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“The EU-26 (without Hungary), of course, will also be able to act. But I don’t want to talk now about how such support can be organized. This also requires further consultations in Brussels,” Wagner added.
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In mid-December, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said his country had again blocked a $50 billion aid package for Ukraine. He noted that this decision would not be in the interests of his country, because in this case it would be necessary to give Kyiv part of the money from the general budget owed to Budapest.
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In turn, the head of the European Council, Charles Michel, after the summit in Brussels, expressed hope that EU leaders will be able to unanimously approve financial support for Kyiv at the beginning of 2024. The next extraordinary EU summit has been scheduled for February 1.
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Hungary blocks most EU decisions on Ukraine. In addition to the 50 billion euro package, there is an eighth tranche of military aid worth 500 million euros, a transfer of five billion euros from the European Peace Fund for military support in 2024 and a broader package of 20 billion for military aid over four years.
