Germany and France skeptical of circumventing Hungary's veto on Ukraine aid - Bloomberg
French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (photo: Getty Images)
Germany and France oppose the EU's plan to override Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's veto on Ukraine. At issue is military aid worth $6.6 billion, states Bloomberg.
In particular, the European External Action Service has put forward the possibility of allowing EU member states to make voluntary contributions to the European Peace Fund, which is used to finance military equipment. This would make it possible in the future to allocate aid funds based on the consent of the contributors rather than unanimous support.
However, France and Germany have expressed concern about setting a precedent that could jeopardize the future of the EPF as a foreign policy tool. Currently, the EPF relies on mandatory contributions based on the economic weight of each EU member and requires unanimity for payment.
Bloomberg also writes that in some countries, voluntary contributions may require the approval of national parliaments, which will add another layer of complexity.
The newspaper noted that Hungary has been vetoing payments to Ukraine for more than a year, prompting EU states to look for alternative solutions.
Ukraine will receive a loan of up to $35 billion from the EU as part of the G7 commitments. This decision was approved by the Council of the European Union.
