Hungary Blocks New EU Military Aid for Ukraine On 3rd Anniversary Of War
BRUSSELS/KYIV/BUDAPEST(Worthy News) – Hungary will veto a new multibillion-euro European Union military aid package for Ukraine, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó confirmed Monday. Budapest also opposes “the automatic extension of sanctions” against Russian individuals, saying it prefers peace talks about ending the three-year war between Ukraine and Russia.
The announcement by Hungary’s top diplomat came while EU foreign ministers were meeting in Brussels to coordinate a response to U.S.-Russia negotiations on ending the war in Ukraine. Elsewhere in Kyiv, a summit was underway attended by world leaders on the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy began with an opening address, watched by 15 world leaders, including EU leaders and Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
It came while in Brussels, a proposal from EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas to ramp up military and financial support for Kyiv was also on the table.
Kallas will travel to Washington on Tuesday to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio but already said that the “Russian narrative is strong in the U.S.,” referring to President Donald J. Trump’s recent remarks calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a “dictator without elections.
Other leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, are also in Washington this week to meet Trump. They will discuss Ukraine amid concerns Europe won’t be invited for crucial peace talks with Russia, which invaded its neighbor on February 24, 2022.
Yet all 27 EU member states must approve any new aid or security guarantees to Kyiv, giving Hungary the power to stall key decisions. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government, which maintains close ties with Russia, has called for peace talks rather than increased military support.
HASTY CEASEFIRE
However, Russia rejects what it calls “a U.S. push for a hasty ceasefire” in Ukraine, warning of “serious consequences” if talks move too quickly.
“A ceasefire without long-term agreements will only lead to renewed fighting and a worse conflict, including for U.S.-Russia relations,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told state news agency RIA on Monday.
Moscow and Washington are set to hold diplomatic talks later this week, but the Kremlin insists any deal must address its security concerns.
Amid the diplomatic wrangling, the presidents of the European Union’s executive European Commission, the European Parliament, and the EU Council of prime ministers tried to show unity, reaffirming “full support” for Ukraine on the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion.
“We stand firmly behind Ukraine and will not waver. Peace, security, and justice will prevail,” wrote Ursula von der Leyen, Roberta Metsola, and António Costa in a joint statement.
The leaders called for continued global support to achieve “a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace based on Ukraine’s terms.”
‘IMPERIALIST OBSESSION’
During a visit to Kyiv, the wartorn capital, Von der Leyen announced Monday that Ukraine will receive an additional 3.5 billion euros ($3.7 billion) in EU financial aid next month.
“Putin’s attack on Ukraine is driven by imperialist obsession. Supporting Ukraine remains Europe’s top priority,” she wrote in a letter to Zelenskyy.
She visited Kyiv while EU foreign ministers in Brussels began discussing a significant boost in military funding for Kyiv.
The bloc also unveiled its 16th sanctions package against Russia, targeting key sectors of its economy, but without Hungary’s support, those plans remain wishful thinking.
