Leaders to meet in Brussels later this week for summit intended to seal deal on long-term funding for Ukraine

In an interview with Le Point, published this morning, Hungary’s Viktor Orbán repeated a position Budapest has articulated over the past days: that it is now open to providing Ukraine aid from the EU budget, as long as a unanimous decision would be taken every year to allow assistance to continue – effectively giving Budapest an annual veto.

We decided to make a compromise offer: fine, we do not agree with the budget amendment. We do not agree that we should give EUR 50 billion [to Ukraine], which is a huge amount. We do not agree that we should give it for four years and so on.

But let it be, Hungary is ready to participate in the solution of the twenty-seven, if they guarantee that every year we will decide whether or not we will continue to send this money.

It is not acceptable for one EU prime minister, Viktor Orbán, to harm European citizens – the 450 million European citizens – with his blackmail and with his blockade tactics. This political blackmail should never be rewarded.

Today’s challenges require EU solidarity, backed up with concrete actions and coordinated polices.

Nationalism is not a solution. ‘Proudly alone’ is not a solution and, therefore, we ask that the Council decides quickly on the revision of the EU’s long-term budget, the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).