The dispute was essentially about rule of law problems in Hungary. The EU Commission therefore wanted to withdraw more than 13 billion euros in EU funds from the country. For its part, Budapest therefore blocked planned EU emergency aid for Ukraine amounting to 18 billion euros, which requires unanimity. Several countries then accused Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban of “blackmail”. With the compromise that has now been found on EU funds for Hungary, aid can be sent to Kiev.
EU leaders are meeting in Brussels on Thursday for a summit on support for Kiev. In his official letter of invitation, EU Council President Charles Michel called on the member states to make sustainable decisions. It’s not just “about the immediate needs of the country,” emphasized Michel on Monday. Rather, military and financial aid for Ukraine must be guaranteed for several years.
