EU foreign ministers met in Kiev to unite in their support for Ukraine. However, the meeting failed to release the 500 million euros in European military aid, which Hungary continues to veto.
ANNOUNCEMENT
EU foreign ministers met in Kiev to unite in their support for Ukraine.
However, the meeting failed to release the 500 million euros in European military aid, which Hungary continues to veto.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell once again called for Ukraine’s quick accession to the EU:
“The strongest security commitment we can give Ukraine is membership in the European Union. This is the strongest security commitment for Ukraine. Now Ukraine is a candidate country and continues on this path.”
Hungary is blocking the provision of military aid because Ukraine added the Hungarian bank OTP to the list of so-called “international war sponsors”.
Kiev is ready to temporarily remove the bank from the list, but this is not enough for Budapest.
EU diplomats privately express their frustration with Hungary’s repeated use of the veto on issues affecting Ukraine.
In the past, Prime Minister Orban has called for the removal of Russian individuals from the EU sanctions list, including the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill – a Putin ally and supporter of the war.
01/23 SOT Garvan Walsh, president of Unhack Democracy
“The same must be said about Patriarch Kiril, who they also exempted from sanctions because they tried to be nice to him and the Russians,” said Garvan Walsh, president of Unhack Democracy.
“Ultimately, he’s just extorting as much of his power as he can. This is dirty and illegitimate, but I suspect the Ukrainians are saying, ‘Well, we have to be pragmatic here – we have more important things to do and we have to tolerate some of that and “trying to reach agreements – however unpleasant they may be, because we have a war to fight”.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó did not participate in the talks with his colleagues; instead, the government sent an official.
Negotiations between all parties continue.
So there is some hope that the money will eventually be released.