Hungary has blocked €50 billion in EU aid for Ukraine just hours after an agreement was reached to begin membership talks.
Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a long-time opponent of Ukraine’s membership, announced the veto on social media following talks in Brussels.
Despite this setback, EU leaders plan to resume aid discussions in early 2024. The move to open membership talks with Ukraine and Moldova, as well as granting candidate status to Georgia, was met with unanimous agreement, except from Hungary.
Orban briefly left the negotiating room while the other 26 leaders proceeded with the vote.
Ukraine heavily relies on EU and US funding in its ongoing struggle against Russian forces.
President Volodymyr Zelensky celebrated the EU’s decision on membership talks as a “victory.” However, the approval of a $61 billion US defense aid package for Ukraine is also delayed due to disagreements among Democrat and Republican lawmakers.
Commenting on Mr Orban’s opposition to the aid, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said: “We still have some time, Ukraine is not out of money in the next few weeks.”
“We agreed with the 26 countries,” he added. “Victor Orban, Hungary, were not yet able to do that. I am fairly confident we can get a deal early next year. We are thinking of late January.”
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte expressed confidence in reaching a deal early next year, emphasizing that Ukraine has financial support for the coming weeks.
Moldovan President Maia Sandu, sharing the path to EU accession with Ukraine, honored Ukraine’s resistance against Russia’s invasion.
While the EU’s historic move to open accession talks is praised by leaders like German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Russian President Vladimir Putin mocked Ukraine, claiming Western support could run out.
Talks on EU membership are a lengthy process, and Thursday’s decision does not guarantee Ukraine’s immediate inclusion.
The EU requires candidate countries to undergo reforms addressing issues from the rule of law to the economy.
Ukraine has already completed over 90% of the necessary steps, according to the EU’s executive.
