With or without Hungary: EU to approve €50 bln for Ukraine, says MFA
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba (Photo: Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
European Union countries will approve the decision to allocate €50 billion to Ukraine, even in the face of a potential veto from Hungary, says the Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, in an interview broadcast during a telethon.
He noted that the decision to allocate €50 billion to Ukraine has been postponed to the beginning of 2024 not because of Hungary's veto. Thus, the 26 EU states wanted to give Budapest time to reach an agreement on joining the allocation of funds because "the EU does not want a situation where decisions are constantly made without one country."
"The decision that Ukraine will receive this money will be made. The question remains: whether all 27 countries - all EU members, including Hungary - will do it together, and Hungary has been given a month for additional negotiations, or these funds will be allocated by 26 EU countries without Hungary," the minister clarified.
He added that the issue is about the internal unity of the bloc. Currently, 26 countries are making every effort to preserve it. However, if this fails, "the money will still be allocated."
€50 billion for Ukraine
Recall that last year, the European Union proposed allocating €50 billion to Ukraine by 2027. To implement this initiative, it must be approved by all leaders of EU member states. The issue was discussed at the Euro Summit. The allocation of funds was not supported, as Hungary vetoed it.
Later, the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, promised to bring this issue back to the leaders for consideration at the beginning of 2024. This will happen at a special summit scheduled for February 1.
Even Hungary's Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, has already acknowledged that the EU can allocate €50 billion to Ukraine without his country.
