Agreement at summit

Orban gave up his veto: EU pledges €50 billion to Ukraine

After Orban's concession, the mood in Brussels was apparently good.

(Bild: APA/AFP/Ludovic MARIN)

The 27 EU heads of state and government have agreed on additional aid payments to Ukraine amounting to €50 billion. Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban has given up his veto against the payments - apparently even before the summit began.

EU Council President Charles Michel announced on the online platform X that a deal had been reached. According to EU diplomats, the release of EU funds for Hungary, which had been frozen due to concerns about the rule of law, will not be part of the deal.

EU leaders were able to persuade Orban
Prior to the official start of the summit, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Council President Charles Michel and several European heads of state and government, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron, met with Orban. According to EU diplomats, they were apparently able to persuade him to reach an agreement.

Council circles reported that Orban had given in, as the aid payments are to be reviewed in two years' time. Orban had previously called for an annual review. This had been rejected by some heads of state with references to poor planning. The ongoing Article 7 proceedings against Hungary for violations of the rule of law were not addressed by the 27. The release of currently frozen EU funds was also not part of the deal.

"We know what is at stake"
"The EU is taking the lead and responsibility in supporting Ukraine," wrote Michel. "We know what is at stake." The summit had become necessary after Orban blocked an agreement on the planned increase in the EU's multi-year budget in December. Aid for Ukraine is part of this. Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) welcomed the agreement and was also pleased that the increase in the multi-year EU budget is now lower than originally requested by the EU Commission.

Following the agreement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his gratitude for the additional aid now planned. "The continuation of the EU's financial support for Ukraine will strengthen long-term economic and financial stability, which is no less important than military support and sanctions pressure on Russia," wrote Zelenskyi on Platform X.

A Ukrainian soldier prepares artillery ammunition.

(Bild: AP)

EU lags far behind in arms deliveries
At the same time, Selensky criticized the fact that the EU will probably not be able to keep its promise to deliver one million pieces of ammunition by March. According to EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell, 330,000 pieces had been sent from the EU to Ukraine by the beginning of 2024. This is also a sign of global competition that Europe cannot afford to lose. Russia has "gained another Russian accomplice, namely artillery shells and ballistic missiles from North Korea. They are already terrorizing our cities, in addition to the Iranian shaheeds that are destroying our civilian infrastructure. Intelligence information confirms that Russia will receive one million artillery shells from Pyongyang," said the Ukrainian president, who was connected via video, in his speech at the summit.