BRUSSELS, Nov 10 (Reuters) – The European Union (EU) can override a possible Hungarian veto and grant Ukraine 50 billion euros in aid, EU officials said, as Kyiv struggles to counter offensive against the Russian army more than a year and a half after the start of the invasion of the country decided by Moscow.
The European Commission has proposed increasing its financial aid to enable Ukraine to pay salaries and meet other conflict-related expenses. The 27 member states must vote on this proposal at a European summit in Brussels on December 14 and 15.
However, some fear that this aid will be blocked by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Such payments from the common budget must be unanimously approved by all Member States.
Asked about this, Hungarian government spokesperson Zoltan Kovacs said any financial aid to Ukraine should be separate from the EU budget.
The EU needs a new strategy for Ukraine and all financial decisions must follow from it, he added.
In the event that Budapest vetoes, two EU officials said the bloc has a way around it by asking each of the other governments to put in place its own aid package. In total, the bilateral pacts would reach the same amount.
“Hungary risks going too far. We would prefer to have them on board, but there comes a point where people get tired of Budapest taking everyone hostage. The workaround is tedious, but we have it in case of need,” one of the officials said.
“The issue of money for Ukraine will be resolved one way or another, Kyiv will receive support from the EU,” the other EU official said on condition of anonymity.
“If Hungary becomes an obstacle to the unanimity needed to do this through the EU budget, member states will find another way, such as an intergovernmental agreement or national guarantees,” he added.
Last year, Budapest vetoed a similar proposal to provide 18 billion euros in financial aid to Ukraine in 2023.
Hungary finally accepted the aid after several months after obtaining what it described as concessions from the EU, which had for its part already indicated that it was ready to circumvent the Hungarian veto.
Asked whether the EU could use bypass routes again, European Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said this week he hoped not to resort to them.
“Last year we actually discussed ‘plan B’ (…) But we were able to avoid this scenario. I hope we can also avoid this scenario this year.”
(Report by Gabriela Baczynska and Jan Strupczewski, French version by Augustin Turpin, edited by Blandine Hénault)
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