The heads of State and Government of the European Union They postponed negotiations on the new economic aid package to January 2024. Ukraine of 50,000 million, which remains blocked by the veto exercised by the prime minister of Hungary, Viktor Orbán.
The leaders of the bloc concluded the first day of their summit in Brussels around 2.30 a.m. on Friday without having yet been able to convince the Hungarian ultranationalist and they will not resume tomorrow the debate on the budget review that includes aid to Kyivseveral community sources confirmed to EFE.
The other twenty-six member states support the latest document that reached the negotiating table, but Orbán insisted on his refusal to contribute more money to European accounts to create a new financial assistance program for Ukraine until 2027, the sources add.
“Twenty-six leaders agree on all components“, later confirmed in statements to the media by the president of the European Council, Charles Michelwho specified that a country, Swedenyou must consult your Parliament and another, with reference to Hungary Although he did not name him, he did not support the document.
“I want to work with colleagues in the coming days and weeks to prepare for a summit that will take place early next year”, the former Belgian Prime Minister later expressed.
Budapesttherefore, keeps the new program with which the European Union It wants to make it easier for Ukraine to pay for urgent needs such as the renovation of infrastructure damaged in Russian attacks and to keep its public services running.
In the weeks and days leading up to the summit, there has been speculation that the rest of the leaders would circumvent the Hungarian veto through an intergovernmental agreement that would isolate Hungary, but the preferred option remains to include the aid package for Kiev within the budget. of the EU.
“I am quite confident that we can take the definitive step at the beginning of next year, I do not guarantee it but I am quite optimistic“, declared the Prime Minister of Netherlands, Mark Rutte.
The document that has the support of the rest of the capitals includes a new aid package for Ukraine of 50,000 million euros until 2027, of which 17,000 million euros will be direct non-refundable aid and the other 33,000 million would come in the form of credits, which Brussels would capture debt markets.
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In addition, it contemplates reinforcing migration and border management programs with 9.6 billion, as well as allocations for assistance to Syrian refugees in Türkiye, Jordan, Lebanonas well as for the Balkans and the countries of southern Mediterranean.
Finally, it leaves the money planned for the platform designed to invest in the development of clean technologies at 1,500 million, although all of this envelope will be used to reinforce the European Defense Fund and contemplates 2,000 million for the Flexibility Instrument and 1,500 million for the Solidarity Reserve and Emergency Aid (SEAR).
If approved, Member States would have to make additional contributions to European accounts worth €21 billion and another €10.6 billion would be reallocated from other parts of the budget to pay for these new priorities.
