Hungary is open to using the EU budget for the aid package for Ukraine - Orban's adviser

Hungary on Monday signaled its readiness for a compromise that would allow financing the EU's proposed aid package for Ukraine from the bloc's budget ahead of an emergency summit on Thursday, Reuters reports, UNN writes.

Details

As indicated, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's political director said on Monday that Hungary is ready to use the EU budget for the proposed €50 billion aid package to Ukraine, which the publication calls "a major change in Budapest's position from just a few weeks ago.

Balázs Orbán, the prime minister's chief political aide, confirmed on X that Budapest sent a proposal to Brussels on Saturday, showing that it is open to using the EU budget for the bailout package and issuing EU general debt to finance it, if other "caveats" were added.

AddendumAddendum

The Financial Times reported on Sunday that the EU could sabotage Hungary's economy if Budapest blocks aid at this week's summit.

"The document prepared by Brussels bureaucrats only confirms what the Hungarian government has been saying for a long time: access to EU funds is being used by Brussels for political blackmail," said Hungary's Minister for EU Affairs János Boca at the 10th EU Summit.

If Hungary does not agree to the initial aid package, EU leaders have proposed a workaround that includes a deal between the 26 members and Ukraine that would also deprive Budapest of access to EU funds, such as migration.

The EU has suspended a large portion of its funds for Hungary over concerns that Budapest has damaged the country's democratic system of checks and balances. The EU unblocked some of these funds late last year, saying that Budapest had reformed its judicial system, but about 20 billion euros still remain frozen.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó is meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart in Uzhhorod today to prepare for a possible meeting between Orban and Zelenskyy, the newspaper notes.