Orban has not yet taken the floor: what Hungary has already received at the EU summit and what more it wants

The European Council summit began in Brussels on December 14. The key issues for Ukraine at this summit are the allocation of 50 billion euros and the opening of negotiations on accession to the European Union. Hungary is putting a spoke in the wheels of making fateful decisions for our country.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is the only politician who has officially opposed the provision of assistance to Kyiv. Correspondent24 Channel Sofia Nazarenko spoke about the mood of the European Union leaders at the summit.

A strange coincidence of circumstances

European leaders at the summit have already begun a meeting to review the EU's long-term budget. Senior officials familiar with the negotiations report that the €50 billion allocation for Ukraine has broad support among member countries.

26 EU member states support the proposal. However, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban publicly opposed providing assistance to Ukraine. At the same time, on the sidelines they say that the official position of the Hungarian leader usually differs from what he broadcasts in the media.

I really hope that we will find a formula, because 50 billion euros is the issue of today. We should not delay this decision, because Ukraine does not fight tomorrow. “Ukraine is at war right now and, of course, this has huge consequences for the economy,” said Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda.

The day before, Orban said that he would not block aid to Ukraine if the EU unlocks aid to Hungary. Subsequently The European Commission allocated 10 billion euros to Budapest. EU leaders say this is just a coincidence and has nothing to do with appeasing Orban. However, perhaps the argument for making such a decision was the threat of the Prime Minister of Hungary.

Orban has not yet taken the floor at the summit, so in the European Union “They don’t know what else he could want,” noted the Channel 24 correspondent.

European leaders are determined

During the summit, European leaders will discuss the issue of EU enlargement, which Viktor Orban is actively blocking. Arriving at the summit, the Prime Minister of Hungary said that Ukraine had not fulfilled all 7 recommendations of the European Commission necessary to start negotiations.

According to our sources, one of the decisions that could be agreed upon, this is the actual opening of negotiations. However, agreement on a negotiating framework including a draft negotiation could happen later, once the candidate countries have completed all the necessary reforms.

European politicians are determined to convince Orban change your position.

“He (Viktor Orban – Channel 24) said that he does not see agreement now. We tried to convince him, but “We will do this again. We will try to convince and negotiate. We are not ready to give up,” said Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kollas.

More about the European Council summit

• President of the European Parliament Roberta Mezola, during a speech at the EU summit, said that Ukraine has made many reforms on the path to European integration . The next step should be a decision to begin negotiations on accession to the European Union.
• President Vladimir Zelensky addressed European leaders at the summit via videoconference. He called on representatives of EU countries to support Ukraine and make a fateful decision for Ukrainians.
• In Brussels, Orban is called the Trojan horse of dictator Vladimir Putin. They claim that the remaining 26 EU members will be able to make key decisions without Hungary’s consent.