Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has met with representatives of German industrial conglomerate ThyssenKrupp, he said in a Facebook* post, and skipped a meeting of European foreign ministers in Kiev.
"The task now is to reduce inflation, and for 2024 - to rebuild economic growth. For this, the work has to start now and it requires companies like the German Thyssenkrupp," Szijjarto wrote.
Ties between Budapest and Brussels have been tense of late, with Hungary repeatedly voicing its protest as the EU's blank checks for Kiev.
It was earlier reported that Hungary believes that the EU has spent its share of a funding program on supporting Kiev regime. EU authorities had confessed to freezing over €6 billion intended for Budapest, citing political concerns. However, Hungarian PM Viktor Orban is afraid that the funds were given to Ukraine.
"It is possible that some of it [the money] is already in Ukraine. If there is no money to give Ukraine the sums promised before, and we promise to give new sums, and there are people who haven't received the money, it is reasonable to assume that this money is already gone," Orban said in an interview to a radio station.
The Hungarian premier added that his country will block any funding for Kiev unless Budapest receives the designated funds.
Another stumbling block between Hungary and Ukraine is the fate of Transcarpathian Hungarians, whose rights are systematically abused by Kiev.
*Meta’s Facebook is banned in Russia for extremism.