Media: Orban and Fico opposed the 50 billion euro aid package to Ukraine

The Prime Ministers of Hungary and Slovakia, Viktor Orban and Robert Fico, did not support the allocation of an aid package of 50 billion euros from the EU budget to Ukraine during the EU summit in Brussels. About it writes Politico cited a diplomat with knowledge of the discussions.

The interlocutor recalled that Orban publicly stated that EU support for Kyiv does not work. Fico, according to the source, referred to corruption in Ukraine.

To amend the EU budget, the support of all 27 members of the association is required. Politico notes that while Brussels hopes to persuade Hungary to reconsider its position, the EU faces another “headache” from Slovakia. A decision on the issue must be made before the end of the year, since by this time the previously allocated EU funding for Ukraine will end.

On October 26, the next summit of leaders of EU member states opened in Brussels. Before the summit Orban statedthat Hungary will not support the allocation of additional funds to Ukraine from the EU budget until it receives convincing justification for this. He also notedthat Budapest is ready to approve a tranche of 500 million euros from the European Peace Fund to Kyiv if a delegation of the Ukrainian National Anti-Corruption Agency (NAPC) comes to Hungary to discuss this issue.

Fico on his Facebook page (owned by the Meta corporation, which is recognized as extremist and banned in the Russian Federation) said that he notified the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, about Slovakia’s refusal to provide military assistance to Ukraine. Previously he clarifiedthat the country will continue to provide only humanitarian assistance to Kyiv. Fico also called on the EU to “transform itself from being an arms supplier to being a peacemaker.”