Viktor Orban calls for main decisions to support Ukraine to be scrapped
The Hungarian head of government Viktor Orban is adding to the dispute with the European Union. In a letter to EU Council President Charles Michel, which became public on Tuesday, he demanded that the two main resolutions on support for Ukraine be removed from the agenda of the Brussels summit in mid-December. Otherwise, the right-wing nationalist warned in the letter, which was obtained by the AFP news agency, the summit would "fail".
Specifically, Orban called for the planned start of EU accession negotiations with Ukraine to be put on hold for the time being. The EU Commission's proposal to support Ukraine with a further 50 billion euros and to increase the multi-year budget framework for this is also not ready for a decision. "The obvious lack of consensus would inevitably lead to failure," Orban warned with a view to the meeting of European heads of state and government on December 14 and 15. Both resolutions require unanimity.
In an initial letter to Michel, Orban had called for European support for Ukraine to be put to the test, as well as the sanctions against Russia. Diplomats suspect that Orban wants to achieve the release of 13 billion euros for his country. The EU had frozen the funds due to rule of law problems. Members of the European Parliament accuse Orban of "blackmail".
Read also:
- Despite Orban's call to scrap the main decisions supporting Ukraine at the EU summit, the EU Council President Charles Michel has not indicated any intention to remove these resolutions from the agenda.
- The EU's proposed support for Ukraine, including the initiation of accession negotiations and a 50 billion euro aid package, faces opposition from Viktor Orban, who believes the lack of unity among EU members could lead to the summit's failure.
- The EU's agenda for the upcoming summit includes discussions on bolstering Ukraine's support, particularly through the commencement of EU accession negotiations and additional financial aid, but Hungary's Victor Orban has voiced objections to these plans.
Source: www.ntv.de
