Shortly before a special summit of the EU, Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced a blockade of possible new support efforts for Ukraine. In a letter to EU Council President António Costa, who has the German Press Agency, Orban writes that he could not agree to a joint statement by the EU heads of state and government on Thursday. The EU and all of Europe, “except Hungary and the Vatican” want war, complained Orban in the evening in an interview with the Hungarian broadcaster “TV2”.
The State Secretary Zoltan Kovacs responsible for international government communication confirmed that Orban’s letter to Costa is authentic.
The threat from Budapest comes after US President Donald Trump threatened to let Ukraine down in the fight against Russia if there is no agreement with Russia. He covered the Ukrainian head of state Wolodymyr Selenskyj in the White House in front of running cameras with severe allegations.
Orban calls for direct discussions with Russia
Orban continues that there are “strategic differences in our approach to Ukraine, which cannot be bridged by designs or communication”. The EU should follow the example of the United States and lead direct discussions with Russia about an armistice and an agreement in Ukraine.
This is unlikely that the EU can decide new measures to support Ukraine at the special summit on Thursday. According to the EU’s external service, there should ideally be a fundamental cleaning of a new EU package with military aid for Ukraine.
For far -reaching decisions, unanimity is required
However, far -reaching decisions must be made unanimously in the EU and Hungary had announced last week to block the plans.
Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said that the initiative of the EU foreign commissioner Kaja Kalla’s goals to strengthen Kiev’s position in the negotiations instead of urging peace. Hungary will not support it to spend the money of European taxpayers in order to extend the war.
Orban: Ukraine hangs on the ventilator
In the TV interview, Orban regretted the scandal between Trump and Selenskyj. “It was a bad thing,” he said. Trump “surprised everyone by doing what he had promised.” Selenskyj “does not want to peace, at least not on the conditions that the Americans offer”. However, Ukraine is “exhausted” and “hangs on the ventilator”. Without money from the USA and the EU, Kyiv has no chance.
