Hungary had long blocked a billion-dollar financial package for Ukraine. Now all EU members voted for aid worth 50 billion euros over the next four years.
After a long struggle, all 27 EU states agreed to a billion-dollar financial package for Ukraine at the special summit in Brussels. EU Council President Charles Michel announced the agreement: 50 billion euros in financial aid should flow to Ukraine by 2027.
“We have a deal,” Michel wrote on X. Thanks to the uniform approval, Ukraine could count on long-term financing. The agreement also shows that the EU is taking on a leadership role and responsibility for the benefit of the country. “We know what is at stake,” emphasized Michel.
Ukraine welcomes decision from Brussels
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj praised the agreement between the EU states. The decision shows the “strong unity of the EU”. The commitment will strengthen his country’s long-term economic and financial stability.
Ukraine’s head of government, Denys Shmyhal, spoke on X about a contribution to a “common victory” over Russia. “EU Member States are once again demonstrating their solidarity and unity to help the Ukrainian people resist the war,” he wrote.
Tough struggle until the end
The EU actually wanted to pass the billion-dollar package in December. But a unanimous decision failed due to the veto of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
In order to enable a unified vote, the remaining 26 EU members are said to have agreed that financial aid to Ukraine will be re-examined every two years. Possible changes to the aid package would have to be approved by all EU states, reported the Reuters news agency. In order to give his approval, Orban initially even demanded that the commitments be checked annually. Apparently he couldn’t get his way with that.
Even before the start of the meeting in Brussels, Chancellor Olaf Scholz and other leading heads of state and government from EU countries negotiated with Orban in a small group about his approval. A picture distributed by EU Council President Michel showed top politicians discussing the issue in a small circle with Orban shortly before the start of the special summit.
Dispute over frozen EU funds
In 2022, the EU froze billions of euros from the community budget for Hungary, citing the country’s violations of the rule of law and excessive levels of corruption in Hungary.
Brussels said today that initially no concessions were made to Hungary in the dispute over frozen EU funds.
Military aid of 28 billion euros so far
Since the beginning of Russia’s war against Ukraine, the EU has supported Kiev with military aid worth 28 billion euros, according to EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. This year there will be aid worth at least 21 billion euros. A sum that could still rise, as not all EU states have yet provided information on the planned support with military equipment.
Paul Vorreiter, ARD Brussels, tagesschau, February 1st, 2024 2:56 p.m