Hungary has vetoed the EU’s 50 billion euro package for Ukraine, Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced on X night of Friday. The country also obstructs the EU’s budget decisions. The package for Ukraine is part of the EU’s long-term budget, and was discussed at the summit in Brussels on Thursday. – Veto against extra money for Ukraine. Veto against the EU’s long-term budget, writes Orban. This year’s winter has brought with it a number of new challenges for the Ukrainian military. President Volodymyr Zelenskyj is this week at a series of summits in an attempt to secure more support. Photo: Efrem Lukatsky / AP Ukraine has struggled to win back the territories that Russia has occupied, and is waiting for a $60 billion aid package to be passed by the US Congress. The need for EU funds is therefore very great. The conversation about funds for Ukraine will be taken up again “early next year”, promises EU President Charles Michel. Barth Eide “very concerned” Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide tells news on Friday morning that he is “very concerned about Hungary’s behaviour”. – This worries me greatly, because it is incredibly important that Ukraine gets support now from the rest of us. – We gave a significant support package here on Wednesday when President Zelenskyj was here. Espen Barth Eide says the membership negotiations that the EU has decided to start are “surprisingly good news”. Photo: Amanda Iversen Orlich / news But there was not only bad news at the summit in Brussels, says Barth Eide further. – What is very good is that the EU was able to pull itself together to issue an invitation for long-term membership negotiations to Ukraine and Moldova. Membership negotiations started on Thursday On Thursday, the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, announced at X that the EU had opened membership negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova. – This is a victory for Ukraine and all of Europe, answered Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyi. Photo: Cicilie Sigrid Andersen / news The decision to open negotiations on EU membership for Ukraine and Moldova took place during a summit between European leaders in the European Council. Michel said at the same time that Georgia has been given the status of a candidate country. Viktor Orban, Hungary’s prime minister, left the summit when the decision on Ukraine negotiations was made. – EU membership for Ukraine is a bad decision. Hungary will not take part in this bad decision, he writes on Facebook after the meeting. In a video on the Facebook post, Orban says that the other 26 leaders were determined that the decision had to be made. – That is why Hungary chose to go its own way, he says in the video. In an interview with Hungarian state radio on Friday, Orban says that the country can still stop Ukraine’s membership process if it becomes necessary later, according to Reuters. Orban is the only one of the 27 heads of state in the European Council who have flatly rejected Ukrainian EU membership in recent weeks. Photo: Omar Havana / AP Facts about Viktor Orban Hungarian politician (60). Prime Minister from 1998 to 2002 and since 2010. Trained in law at Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest. Born 31 May 1963. Married, five children. Started his political career as a student leader in the anti-communist demonstrations in 1989. Leader and founder of the conservative party Fidesz since 1988. In the 2010 elections, Fidesz received a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly, which they held until 2015, this gave the party the power to pass another controversial new constitution in 2012, which opponents believe undermines democracy. Orban’s government has often been in conflict with the EU, which Hungary has been a part of since 2004. Among other things, Hungary refuses to accept the quota of refugees the EU has allocated to them. Orban’s government has often been in conflict with the EU, which Hungary has been a part of since 2004. Among other things, Hungary refuses to accept the quota of refugees the EU has allocated to them – Orban was not present. The details of the decision on membership talks are currently unclear. – It is possible to get a decision even if not all countries are present, says a source who was present when the decision was made to news. – Usually, you will then give another country the authority to vote on behalf of the person who is absent, but this is not mandatory. Ireland’s Prime Minister, Leo Varadkar, confirms according to Reuters that Orban was not present when the EU leaders were to vote on the proposal. – Orban chose not to use his right of veto. Nor did he give away his vote to another country, says Varadkar. Prime Minister of Ireland, Leo Varadkar. Photo: JOHANNA GERON / Reuters Støre: – A historic day According to several diplomatic sources, it must have been Germany’s Chancellor, Olaf Scholtz, who suggested that Orban leave the meeting when the Ukraine decision was to be taken, writes Reuters. The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, wrote on X that Thursday’s decision was a strategic decision, and a day that will go down in the history books. – I am proud that we have fulfilled our promises and am happy on behalf of our partners, she writes. Several heads of state have congratulated Ukraine after the decision on membership negotiations became known. Among them is Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. – This is a historic day for Ukraine and the EU, he wrote on X.
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Hungary has blocked the EU’s billion package to Ukraine – news Norway – Overview of news from various parts of the country
