Hungary blocks EU funding for arms shipments to Ukraine
Ana Fernanda Reporter
| 2024-12-18 16:09:46
Hungary has once again vetoed the European Union's (EU) allocation of 6.5 billion euros to member states supplying weapons to Ukraine, Foreign and Trade Minister Peter Szijjarto announced on Monday in Brussels, reported Xinhua.
Speaking after a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council, Szijjarto confirmed on his official Facebook page that he had blocked disbursement of the funds from the European Peace Facility, citing Hungary's long-standing opposition to mandatory contributions of arms shipments.
"Hungary has not supplied weapons before, has not contributed to any arms shipments," Szijjarto said. He stressed that while Hungary would not interfere with member states funding such initiatives voluntarily, it would not support making these contributions compulsory.
Szijjarto also voiced his disapproval of the proposed relocation of an EU coordination unit to Kyiv and deploy advisors for security sector reforms in Ukraine. He called these measures "highly dangerous and escalating the conflict," highlighting the associated risks of personnel deployment within an EU framework.
Moreover, the minister rejected proposals to sanction Russia's UN ambassador and its Olympic Committee, stating, "Mixing sports with geopolitics is unacceptable."
Describing Brussels' approach as a "pro-war strategy" that ignored a "new reality" shaped by recent Russian battlefield gains and the reelection of U.S. President Donald Trump, the minister expressed broader criticism of EU policies.
Szijjarto said that the council's rejection of his government's recent Christmas ceasefire proposal was disappointing. "Not only was there no support for a ceasefire that could save lives, but many argued against it," he remarked. He stressed that halting the fighting could achieve what armaments valued at tens or hundreds of billions of euros have failed to accomplish: preventing further Russian advances.
WEEKLY HOT
- 1The flowers at Magok Seoul Botanic Garden are blessing the approach of spring.
- 2Spring has already arrived at Incheon Grand Park, and the flowers are bursting into bloom.
- 3Iran’s Retaliation Deals $800M Blow to U.S. Bases; Key Missile Defense Systems Hit
- 4Trump Deploys ICE to Airports as Budget Standoff Leaves Security Understaffed
- 5Naver D2SF Launches 18th Campus Tech Startup Competition to Foster Next-Gen Innovators
- 6Vishay Unveils Ultra-Compact 0404 RGB LED with Independent Chip Control for Enhanced Color Precision