Hungary's Orban blocks aid for Ukraine, says he can still halt EU accession

[December 15, 2023]  By Bart H. Meijer, Benoit Van Overstraeten and Krisztina Than

BRUSSELS/BUDAPEST (Reuters) -Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban vetoed a major European Union aid package for Ukraine on Friday and warned he could still halt Kyiv's accession to the bloc after membership talks won EU approval.

At a summit in Brussels on Thursday, the European Union's 26 other national leaders took the historic step of agreeing to start accession negotiations with a country at war, bypassing Orban's grievances by getting him to leave the room.

But, hours later, they could not overcome resistance from Orban, who maintains close ties to Russia, to a revamp of the bloc's budget to channel 50 billion euros ($55 billion) to Ukraine and provide more cash for other EU priorities such as managing migration.

The Kremlin praised Orban's stance, which spokesman Dmitry Peskov said impressed Moscow, while criticising the EU, saying the decision to open membership talks was a politicised one that could destabilise the bloc.

Orban, who has a history of banking on clashes with other EU leaders for electoral benefit at home, told state radio that he blocked the aid package to Ukraine - part of a broader multi-year budget plan - to make sure Hungary gets the funds it wants from the EU budget.

"It is a great opportunity for Hungary to make it clear that it must get what it is entitled to. Not half of it, or one-fourth," he said.

The breakthrough on a membership path - which also showed the limits of Orban's power to bend EU decisions his way - came at a critical time for Ukraine with its counter-offensive against Russian invasion forces having failed to make major gains and with U.S. President Joe Biden so far unable to get a $60 billion package for Kyiv through Congress.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy hailed the approval of membership talks as a victory for Ukraine and Europe.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said as he arrived for fresh talks on Friday that the decision to start accession talks made him "proud to be European" and was cause to celebrate, even if it was "only the first page of a very long, long process".

'BAD DECISION'?

But Orban warned Hungary could still block the talks at any time.

"This is a bad decision," the nationalist leader said. "We can halt this process later on, and if needed we will pull the brakes, and the ultimate decision will be made by Hungarian parliament."

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban attends a European Union leaders summit, in Brussels, Belgium December 14, 2023. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo

The EU leaders ended talks on the financial package, which requires unanimity, in the early hours of Friday and said they would try again in January, voicing optimism a deal could be clinched then.

"I can assure you, Ukraine will not be left without support, there are different ways to do this," Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said. "I am pretty confident we will have a solution by January."

Member states could also provide aid individually or strike separate deals.

"The message to Ukraine is: we will be there to support you, we just need to figure out a few of the details together," Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said.

Although membership would likely be many years away, the decision at the Brussels summit took Ukraine a step closer to its long-term strategic goal of anchoring itself in the West and liberating itself from Russia's orbit.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz played a key role in getting Orban to leave the room to clear the way for a decision, diplomats and officials said.

De Croo, reflecting frustration with Orban, said it was time for the Hungarian to pipe down.

"If you are part of the decision, you agree with the decision, or afterwards you just have to keep your mouth shut," he said.

EU leaders reconvened on Friday to discuss other topics including the Israel-Hamas war.

(Reporting by Krisztina Than in Budapest and Philip Blenkinsop, Andrew Gray, Gabriela Baczsynksa, Julia Payne, Andreas Rinke, Michel Rose in Brussels, Bart Meijer in Amsterdam, Benoit van Overstraeten in Paris, writing by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Nick Macfie and Clarence Fernandez)

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