Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has blocked 50 billion euros ($55 billion) EU aid to Ukraine after European leaders agreed to start negotiations for Kiev to join the European Union. However, European Council President Charles Michel said at the end of the first day of the EU summit: “We have tools to ensure our reliability, Ukrainians can count on our support in this package, which has broad political support “Agreement at 26, it’s 50 billion for Ukraine.”
Orban is demanding all European funds destined for Hungary and blocked due to violations of the rule of law in order to give the green light to the aid package for Ukraine. “I have always said that if someone wants to change the budget, then this is a great opportunity for Hungary to make it clear that it must get what it is entitled to. Not half or a quarter,” the prime minister said in an interview with Kossuth Radio.
Sources: We are heading towards an extraordinary EU summit in early 2024
We are aiming for an extraordinary EU summit in early 2024 to finalize negotiations on the 2021-27 budget review. We learn this from European sources, who postpone the meeting between January and February. Regarding the budget, this summit will actually end without an agreement: “There is an agreement between the 26 on the proposal, we are just waiting for the OK from the Swedish Parliament. There is only one country against it,” explained the sources. According to the sources, Italy also agrees with the draft proposal, but it is possible that we will talk about funds for migration again at the new summit scheduled for 2024.
“The agreement on the revision of the EU budget was supported by 26 heads of state and government, but one other head of state and government was not. “That is why we will come back to the issue at the beginning of next year and try to achieve unanimity,” said European Council President Charles Michel, at the end of the first day of the EU summit. “But today we are sending a strong message about enlargement: it is a historic day. And tomorrow we will continue work on the other items on the agenda such as the Middle East, migration and the fight against anti-Semitism.”
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