Photo: Strahinja Aćimović/TanjugOn Friday morning, the Hungarian Prime Minister did not agree to the European Union's financial aid to Ukraine. But experts in the Brussels situation say that they will, if the European Commission releases the money intended for Hungary, which is currently frozen
The persecution of 26 leaders of the EU member states lasted until the wee hours of Friday, with only one - Viktor Orbán.
The Hungarian Prime Minister, who previously gave approx starting membership negotiations with Moldova and Ukraine, he did not want to compromise on money. A formal decision has been postponed until January.
Other EU leaders, on the other hand, have already promised Ukraine that there will be money - fifty billion euros for the next four years to support the budget of the country that is under the attack of the Russian invasion.
"We have a unanimous decision, minus one vote," said European Council President Charles Michel.
"It's not urgent," Orban said Thursday when asked about the money for Ukraine. He proposed that individual members collect as much money as they want, but not to touch the EU budget and not to force Hungary to pay money.
Compromise on accession negotiations
Earlier on Thursday evening, Orban left the hall when the vote was taken on the start of accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova. All other EU members voted in favor.
Even though he remained a juggernaut, Orbán actually gave the green light by leaving the hall - because he could have stayed and vetoed it.
"It is a completely senseless, irrational and wrong decision to start negotiations with Ukraine in these circumstances," Orbán remained on his side, at least rhetorically.
Was Orban bribed?
European MPs in Brussels are spreading accusations that the European Commission actually "bribed" Orban not to veto the start of negotiations with Kyiv and Chisinau.
Namely, as of Wednesday, the European Commission unfroze tens of billions of euros intended for Hungary, frozen due to the introduction of restrictive judicial laws, because the country supposedly carried out the necessary judicial reforms.
Earlier, due to various actions against Budapest, Brussels captured around thirty billion euros that should have gone to the Hungarian budget.
Many see Viktor Orbán's rebellion as a form of racketeering - give me money and I'll give in.
Following this logic, the prevailing opinion is that Orban will give in on the money for Ukraine - if Hungary gets its billions first.
What now?
On Thursday, words like "historic" and "victory of Europe" were rained down, when it was announced that Kyiv will start negotiations with Brussels. It was praised by Michel and, of course, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The more sober ones, like the German chancellor Olaf Scholz, spoke more about the symbolic act - no one believes that Ukraine will really become a member of the EU soon. "An important signal of support", is how Scholz described this "gesture" of the EU.
That, of course, is not the end of the tussle with Orbán. Apart from the money issue, he will have the opportunity to do what he wants when the negotiating framework for Ukraine is adopted. And that decision, namely, must be made unanimously.
Orbana claims that he is close to Putin, although others would say that he is only close to himself.
In this matter, the Hungarian conservative is alone, despite the fact that there are right-wingers similar to him in the circle of EU heads of state and government. But people like Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni and new-old Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fitz do not question their support for Ukraine.
In Poland, however, the government of Jaroslav Kaczynski was recently replaced. Thus, among the skeptics regarding aid to Ukraine, only Orban officially remained.
NR/AFP/DPA
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The decision of the EU heads of state and government was confirmed by the President of the European Council, Charles Michel
