Orbán accepts Zelenskyy's invitation to meet
Victor Orban (Photo: facebook.com/orbanviktor)
Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orban, accepted an invitation from Ukraine's leader, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, for a bilateral meeting, reports Sky News.
According to the new agency, the meeting between Orban and Zelenskyy will be the first official bilateral meeting between the two leaders since the beginning of the war.
Orban mentioned that Volodymyr Zelensky offered him a meeting earlier in the month, proposing to "negotiate."
"I told him I'd be at his disposal. We just have to clarify one question: about what?" noted Orban, adding that the President of Ukraine wanted to discuss the country's application to join the European Union.
Hungary's position regarding Ukraine's accession to the European Union
Hungary had threatened to block all negotiations related to Ukraine's accession to the EU. Against this backdrop, Volodymyr Zelenskyy managed to talk to Orban during a visit to Argentina. As the leader of Ukraine noted, the conversation was open and concerned European affairs between the two countries.
Eventually, during the European Council summit, it was decided to open negotiations regarding Ukraine's accession.
€50 billion for Ukraine
The European Commission proposed providing financial assistance to Ukraine amounting to €50 billion by 2027. On December 14, the leaders of the EU countries discussed this initiative at the summit in Brussels; however, on December 15, Hungary vetoed the decision.
Orban stated that he would not approve the corresponding initiative until the bloc disbursed all the funds allocated to his country, which were frozen.
