EU seeks solution to bypass Hungary's blockade on Ukraine funds
29 August 2024 11:37
The EU's Head of Diplomacy, Josep Borrell, announced on Thursday that he would seek a way to bypass the veto of "one country," referring to the issue of approximately 6.5 billion Canadian dollars blocked by Hungary for Ukraine. Ukraine's Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, wants to talk with his German counterpart about potentially reducing aid from Berlin.
Borrell and Kuleba met with journalists before an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels.
The head of EU diplomacy referred to Hungary's blocking of the eighth tranche amounting to 6.5 billion Canadian dollars from the European Peace Facility. EU countries receive reimbursement from it for equipment provided to Ukraine.
The EU wants to help Ukraine and bypass the Hungarian veto
I will look for a way to bypass the veto of one member state, as it is no longer acceptable, he emphasized.
Kuleba emphasized that, given the current situation where Europe's future is in jeopardy, financial support for Ukraine should not be up for financial debate. He stated that he doesn't want to bring up the amount of money that has been used to address other crises in Europe, but noted that these amounts are far greater than what has been allocated to Ukraine.
He also announced that he would seek a conversation with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock about possibly limiting Germany's support for Ukraine.
The German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported in mid-August that no new funds will be provided for this purpose in the current and future German budgets. This means that the promised equipment will be delivered, but additional requests filed by the German defence ministry will be rejected.
Borrell and Kuleba emphasized that in light of the recent massive Russian airstrikes, it is crucial to deliver the promised air defence support to Ukraine.
Borrell agreed with Kuleba, emphasizing that well-armed Ukrainian forces have the potential to alter the trajectory of the war. He highlighted that it's not just about Ukraine's ability to defend itself, but also about utilizing the supplied equipment to strike military targets within Russian territory.
