Hungary blocks $55bn of EU funding for Ukraine

Brussels, Dec 15 (IANS) The Hungarian government has blocked 50 billion euros ($55 billion) in European Union (EU) funding for Ukraine hours after agreement was reached on starting membership talks.

In a post on X early Friday morning, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said: "Summary of the nightshift: veto for the extra money to Ukraine,veto for the MFF review. We will come back to the issue next year in the EUCO after proper preparation."

Orban's announcement came shortly after the EU leaders decided to open membership talks with Ukraine and Moldova and to grant candidate status to Georgia, the BBC reported.

Hungary has long opposed membership for Ukraine but did not veto that move.

Orban left the negotiating room here momentarily in what officials described as a pre-agreed and constructive manner, while the other 26 leaders went ahead with the vote.

Commenting on Orban's opposition to the aid, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said: "We still have some time, Ukraine is not out of money in the next few weeks."

"We agreed with the 26 countries. Viktor Orban, Hungary, were not yet able to do that. I am fairly confident we can get a deal early next year. We are thinking of late January," the BBC quoted Rutte as saying.

The bloc's leaders said that talks on aid for Ukraine would resume early next year.

Ukraine is critically dependant on EU and US funding as it continues to fight occupying Russian forces.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed the EU decision on membership talks as "a victory" for his country and "Europe".