Last week, Hungary vetoed an increase in the EU budget for 2024-2027, including 50 billion euros ($54.56 billion) of macro-financial aid to Kiev. At the same time, Orban did not vote against launching EU accession talks with Ukraine, but warned that Budapest would have "75 more opportunities" to block this process.
15 December 2023, 17:22 GMT
Orban has repeatedly said that his disagreement with aid to Ukraine is not linked to Hungary's financing from the European Union, media reported. However, at the end of the European Council summit in Brussels last week, he mentioned the amount of 20 billion euros frozen by the EU as his "price."
From Brussels' point of view, giving EU funds to Hungary could seriously damage the EU's image.
"If we move in this direction too far we must recognise where that will take us. We must protect the integrity of the process," a senior EU diplomat was quoted as saying by the newspaper.
Some EU officials are even considering reopening an Article 7 procedure to punish Hungary for rule of law violations, which could lead to the suspension of its voting rights, the newspaper reported. The mechanism could be blocked by another member state, but a recent change of government in Poland means Hungary no longer has a guaranteed protector. Still, many countries are wary of using what is actually the EU's most powerful weapon, the report said.
The priority task, the sources said, is to convince Orban to change his position on Ukraine by making him aware of the “full costs” of his isolation. If efforts to change Orban's mind have no effect, the 26 other EU members can still strike a deal on their own, another senior EU official said.
European Council President Charles Michel said last week that another extraordinary EU summit on Ukraine financing would take place in late January or early February next year.