Hungary prime minister says he averted the risk of losing funds earmarked for Budapest
02 February 2024 - 11:16
byKrisztina Than
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Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Brussels, Belgium, March 23 2023. Picture: VALERIA MONGELLI/BLOOMBERG
Budapest — Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday that he “went to the wall” for his country before agreeing to an EU deal on Thursday to extend new aid to Ukraine and that he averted the risk of losing EU funds earmarked for Budapest from the bloc’s joint coffers.
EU leaders unanimously agreed on Thursday to extend €50bn in new aid to Ukraine, sending a message to the US where a divide has opened up over whether to keep backing Kyiv in its fight against Russia’s invasion.
The agreement came surprisingly quickly after weeks of resistance from Hungary, which has refused to send weapons to Ukraine since the war started and whose relations with Ukraine have been marred by tensions over the treatment of about 150,000 ethnic Hungarians living in western Ukraine.
In a regular interview on state radio on Friday, where he addresses his domestic audience, Orban said the agreement reached on Thursday was a good one.
“I went to the wall,” Orban said.
“If this deal had not been reached and Hungary had continued to use its right of veto then 26 member states would have agreed to send the money to Ukraine ... and would have taken away the funds earmarked for Hungary and sent that to Ukraine as well — why would that have been good?,” Orban added.
“We are not sending weapons [to Ukraine], we get our money from Brussels, and we will contribute to the civil financing of Ukraine.”
After freeing up access to some tranches of EU funds in December to Hungary, the European Commission is still withholding about €20bn from Budapest over widespread accusations that Orban has damaged democracy at home during his 13 years in power. His government rejects these allegations.
Orban reiterated that peace talks should start between Ukraine and Russia as two years have now passed since the start of the war, and “time was on the Russians’ side.”
Orban has been a vocal critic of the EU’s financial and military support for Kyiv and maintained ties with the Kremlin since Russia’s invasion of neighbouring Ukraine in February 2022.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Viktor Orban agrees to EU deal on Ukraine funds
Hungary prime minister says he averted the risk of losing funds earmarked for Budapest
Budapest — Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday that he “went to the wall” for his country before agreeing to an EU deal on Thursday to extend new aid to Ukraine and that he averted the risk of losing EU funds earmarked for Budapest from the bloc’s joint coffers.
EU leaders unanimously agreed on Thursday to extend €50bn in new aid to Ukraine, sending a message to the US where a divide has opened up over whether to keep backing Kyiv in its fight against Russia’s invasion.
The agreement came surprisingly quickly after weeks of resistance from Hungary, which has refused to send weapons to Ukraine since the war started and whose relations with Ukraine have been marred by tensions over the treatment of about 150,000 ethnic Hungarians living in western Ukraine.
In a regular interview on state radio on Friday, where he addresses his domestic audience, Orban said the agreement reached on Thursday was a good one.
“I went to the wall,” Orban said.
“If this deal had not been reached and Hungary had continued to use its right of veto then 26 member states would have agreed to send the money to Ukraine ... and would have taken away the funds earmarked for Hungary and sent that to Ukraine as well — why would that have been good?,” Orban added.
“We are not sending weapons [to Ukraine], we get our money from Brussels, and we will contribute to the civil financing of Ukraine.”
After freeing up access to some tranches of EU funds in December to Hungary, the European Commission is still withholding about €20bn from Budapest over widespread accusations that Orban has damaged democracy at home during his 13 years in power. His government rejects these allegations.
Orban reiterated that peace talks should start between Ukraine and Russia as two years have now passed since the start of the war, and “time was on the Russians’ side.”
Orban has been a vocal critic of the EU’s financial and military support for Kyiv and maintained ties with the Kremlin since Russia’s invasion of neighbouring Ukraine in February 2022.
Reuters
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