EU approves €50B Ukraine aid as Viktor Orbán folds

 

EU approves €50B Ukraine aid as Viktor Orbán folds

 

The deal on Ukraine aid comes after a small group of leaders persuaded Hungary’s leader to drop his veto over the funding package.

The 27 EU leaders agreed on the support package for Ukraine shortly after the formal start of the Council meeting |

 

FEBRUARY 1, 2024 11:42 AM CET

BY GREGORIO SORGI, BARBARA MOENS AND ELISA BRAUN

https://www.politico.eu/article/ukraine-gets-eu-aid-as-orban-folds/

 

European Union leaders on Thursday reached a deal to provide €50 billion in aid to Ukraine, in an unanimous agreement after some leaders persuaded the sole holdout, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, to drop his veto.

 

“All 27 leaders agreed on an additional €50 billion support package for Ukraine within the EU budget,” European Council President Charles Michel wrote on X, a few minutes after the formal start of the Council meeting on Thursday.

 

“This locks in steadfast, long-term, predictable funding for Ukraine,” he added.

 

To fulfill that aim, the EU agreed to give Kyiv €50 billion.

 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was “grateful” to Charles Michel and EU leaders for establishing the €50 billion Ukraine Facility.

 

“It is very important that the decision was made by all 27 leaders, which once again proves strong EU unity,” Zelenskyy tweeted.

 

“Continued EU financial support for Ukraine will strengthen long-term economic and financial stability, which is no less important than military assistance and sanctions pressure on Russia,” he added.

 

The European leaders managed to win over Orbán with three additions, diplomats said. There will be an annual report by the European Commission on the implementation of the aid package, there will be a debate at leaders level on the implementation of the package and if it is needed, in two years the European Council will ask the Commission propose a review of the new budget, according to the latest version of the draft European Council conclusions.

 

EU leaders added a line referring to earlier conclusions from December 2020 to guarantee that that the way rule of law in Hungary is evaluated by the European Commission is done in fair and objective manner.

 

The concessions are seen in Brussels as minor, as leaders have avoided a scenario in which Orbán would have the possibility of a yearly veto of the financial lifeline for Ukraine. But this way, Orbán can proclaim victory at home saying Hungary obtained a review.

 

The deal comes after meetings with small groups of leaders on Thursday.  Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, along with the leaders of France, Germany and Italy, held a closed-door meeting the Hungarian prime minister. The meeting was then widened to other leaders, including Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo.

 

Several diplomats denied other concessions were given to Orbán, and that the increased pressure from leaders made clear to Budapest that there was no alternative than giving in on the money to Ukraine. A key element was rebuilding trust between Hungary and the European Commission, for which the extra line on the conditionality mechanism was key.