Hungary to veto EU plan to finance Ukraine if Budapest's plan rejected
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During a joint news conference with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, Orban stated that Hungary wants to support Ukraine without damaging the EU's budget or requiring a single debt.
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Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban speaks with Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico during a round table meeting at an EU summit in Brussels on October 26, 2023 (AP)
If Budapest's offer to support Kiev outside of the EU budget is denied, Hungary would be compelled to halt European Union money for Ukraine, Prime Minister Viktor Orban warned on Tuesday.
During a joint news conference with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, Orban stated that Hungary wants to support Ukraine without damaging the EU's budget or a single debt. The prime minister emphasized that Hungary is ready to pay its portion of the national budget.
Orban expressed “This is a proposal from Hungary. If Brussels accepts it, Ukrainians will receive assistance from outside the EU budget. And if it does not [accept it], then, unfortunately, we will be forced to stop this process."
Orban reaffirmed that if the EU were to help Ukraine, which is "necessary- it must be done so that there is no harm to the EU budget."
Orban warned that giving Kiev 50 billion euros ($54.3 billion) in one payment for 4 years would severely affect the European economy, especially because "it is unknown what will happen in four years," according to the source, who also stated that Hungary opposes the notion of a shared loan.
Hungary is prepared to ensure that "with the help of the Hungarian parliament, provide this amount from the Hungarian budget," which would be determined for each country based on national economic statistics, Orban stated.
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. 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.
In November, the European Defense Agency (EDA) reported that the European Union's military expenditures reached a record 240 billion euros ($260 billion) in 2023 in response to the war in Ukraine.
Military aid to Ukraine 'ground to a halt'; US funding over: Kirby
Meanwhile, in the United States, White House National Security Spokesperson John Kirby announced that all military aid to Ukraine has been suspended.
“We have issued the last drawdown package that we had funding to support, and that’s why it’s critical that Congress move on that national security supplemental request,” Kirby said, noting that US military support for Ukraine has "ground to a halt."
This comes right after White House and Senate negotiators revealed that they were on the verge of finalizing a comprehensive deal for a supplemental bill aimed at funding aid to Ukraine and US national security measures, including enhanced border security.
"We are very close, we're dealing with the last one or two items, but we're working productively with a shared focus on getting to an agreement," Senator Kyrsten Sinema stated in an exclusive interview for local news broadcaster KGUN 9.
Sinema revealed that she anticipates a draft text of the bill to be available for other lawmakers to review shortly. This development comes amid mounting concerns over the urgency of providing aid to Ukraine and "Israel", two key US allies.
The last military package Joe Biden allocated to Ukraine was worth $200 million drawn from the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), which does not rely on congressional approval.
