Hungary rejects EU plan to give states $2.1 billion for Ukraine
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Belgium wants to give members 1.5 billion euros from the European Peace Fund on top of the 500 million euros in the European Union's macro-financial aid for Ukraine which Hungary has been blocking for almost a year.
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NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg with Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto during a meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday, April 3, 2024 (AP)
Hungary, as confirmed by Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto on Monday, has rejected the EU's plan to hand member states 2 billion euros ($2.1 billion) for delivering weapons to Ukraine, because Kiev has not provided guarantees that Hungarian companies would not be on "black list".
Belgium wants to give member countries 1.5 billion euros from the European Peace Fund for the weapons they supplied to Kiev in addition to the 500 million euros in the European Union's macro-financial aid for Ukraine which Hungary has been blocking for almost a year.
As broadcast by M1 TV channel, he told reporters: "Hungary’s position is unchanged. Until we receive guarantees that Ukraine will not stop 'the witch hunt' against Hungarian enterprises, we will not agree to such a proposal," adding that EU foreign and defense ministers unanimously admit the frontline situation has become a critical stage.
Brussels has been preparing for a world war, Szijjarto said, noting that the weapon supply to Ukraine has not yielded any success on the battlefield so far.
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According to Hungary, the deterioration of the situation in Ukraine should instead encourage efforts for peace and its conditions to be discussed with both Russia and Ukraine, as it wouldn't make sense otherwise.
No means no, says Hungary
This comes as Szijjarto previously said by RIA Novosti in February that Hungary has not been involved in arms shipments to Ukraine in the past, and it maintains a steadfast stance of abstaining from such involvement amid the ongoing conflict with Russia.
“Hungary has never been part and we will never be part of any actions which aim at delivering weapons to Ukraine. Simply because we do believe that the more weapons are being delivered to Ukraine, the longer the war will take and the longer the war takes more destruction will take place and more people will die,” Szijjarto said.
The Foreign Minister underscored that Hungary's approval of the European Union's allocation of 50 billion euros in aid to Ukraine was contingent on the stipulation that the funds should not be used for weapons deliveries.
Last month, NATO's Secretary-General, Jens Stoltenberg, urged European nations to enhance their arms production to aid Ukraine and avert the possibility of a prolonged confrontation with Moscow, while the Russian Foreign Ministry said that the US is ready to arm Ukraine as long as it takes while neglecting Ukrainian lives, at the stake of ensuring that its proxy continues fighting Russia through terrorist attacks on civilian targets and the killing of journalists.
Western nations have been offering military assistance to Ukraine since the war in the country began in February 2022. The assistance progressed from smaller artillery rounds and training to bigger weaponry like tanks and planes.
Read next: West may decide on sending troops to Ukraine in 2-3 months: Hungary PM
EU countries have depleted their stockpiles by sending weaponry worth tens of billions of euros of aid and are working to enhance production capabilities to meet the increased demands of the war, urging member states to sign joint contracts and collaborate on orders for military equipment.
