Overnight negotiations between European Union heads of state and government on a revised EU budget 2021-2027 ended in a deadlock.
Hungary blocked the adoption of new aid to Ukraine, as announced before the summit by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
Leaders will resume discussions this morning as part of the second day of the summit, but the financial issue will return in January.
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Orban’s diktat
“We will return to the subject in early January” at a new summit, European Council President Charles Michel said in the middle of the night.
“There are 26 countries that have given their green light. At the moment there is no agreement with Hungary. But I am confident that we will get it done next year,” added Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.
The European Commission has proposed 50 billion in new financial aid to support Kiev in its war against Moscow.
The political figure that emerged from the summit is significant, given Ukraine’s increasing difficulties in countering Russian armed forces in its conflict with Russia and while even the U.S. Congress is blocking $60 billion in new aid.
Among other things, PM Orbán believes that the European Union should not give a non-EU country so much money without having sufficiently effective control over how the money is spent.
The accession negotiations
Earlier, the Twenty-Seven had agreed to open accession negotiations with Ukraine, despite Hungary’s own opposition.
The same decision had been made in favor of Moldova. Georgia, on the other hand, had been granted candidate status by the Twenty-Seven. While Bosnia and Herzegovina had been given assurances about its prospects for EU membership.
Today, on the second day of the summit, the heads of state and government will discuss among other things the Middle East and migration.
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