Hungary has made it clear that it may lift its veto on the EU's €50 billion aid to Ukraine, provided that the funding is reviewed annually, Politico reports, UNN writes.
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The publication reminds that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is the main opponent of the EU's €50 billion aid package intended to support Ukraine's budget over the next four years.
"Pressure from EU leaders on Orban to change his mind before the February 1 summit may be starting to bear fruit," the newspaper notes.
"Budapest has made it clear that it could lift its veto if the European Council unanimously approves funding on an annual basis, according to three EU diplomats. In practice, this would give Orban the opportunity to block EU funding for Ukraine every year or to receive concessions from Brussels for overriding his veto," the newspaper reports.
As noted, Hungary formulated this proposal during a meeting of 27 EU experts on the budget on Friday and in a written document for the Belgian presidency of the EU Council. "According to the plan, the EU will provide Ukraine with grants and loans worth 12.5 billion euros annually, according to a diplomat familiar with the matter. This will amount to up to 50 billion euros over four years, the amount proposed by the European Commission in its mid-term budget review," the article says.
According to the newspaper, although this is not the first time Hungary has put forward this idea, it marks a significant departure from Orban's rhetoric in recent weeks, when he opposed any grants to Ukraine from the EU budget. "But some EU diplomats remain skeptical, pointing out that an annual decision would not provide predictability for Ukraine," the newspaper points out. "The MFF (the EU's seven-year budget) is a multi-year structure, we can't do it year after year," an EU diplomat said.
"EU funding for Ukraine is on the agenda of a meeting of EU ambassadors scheduled for Wednesday," the newspaper writes.