2023-12-15 02:44:47
EU leaders have failed to agree on additional funding for Ukraine after Hungary blocked an agreement. EU Council President Charles Michel said this in Brussels on Friday night. They now want to continue negotiating an increase in the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) at a special summit in January.
26 EU member states agree in principle on increasing the multi-year EU budget – this includes, among other things, 50 billion euros to support Ukraine, said Michel. Michel did not directly name Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban as the head of state who blocked an agreement. But she acknowledged this herself on X (formerly Twitter).
In June, the EU Commission asked the member states for additional funds for the MFF (2021-2027). This included the aforementioned 50 billion for Ukraine. The Brussels authority also wanted more money for migration and neighborhood policy, competitiveness and increased financing costs. The 26 EU states, which now fundamentally agree, are likely to provide significantly less for areas outside of Ukraine, as was learned from summit circles.
The EU summit is scheduled to continue on Friday. Topics that are still open include the situation in the Middle East, migration and the fight against anti-Semitism, explained Michel. On Thursday, the heads of state and government had already spoken out in favor of EU accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova. Accession talks will also be opened with Bosnia as soon as the necessary conditions are met. The commission is due to report in March. Georgia receives EU candidate status.
Here too, Hungary’s head of government initially took a stand. However, by briefly leaving the meeting room, he cleared the way for a consensus decision among the EU government leaders.
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