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Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán at an EU summit in the European Council building in December 2023
Photo: Virginia Mayo/dpa
According to EU Council President Charles Michel, the 27 EU states have agreed that Ukraine will receive 50 billion euros from the EU budget by 2027. “We have an agreement,” he wrote on Thursday on Platform X about the discussions at the special EU summit. “This ensures stable, long-term and predictable financing for Ukraine,” adds Michel. “The EU is taking leadership and responsibility for supporting Ukraine.” Hungary has thus given up its blockade of an agreement.
The breakthrough came after a small meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, which was also attended by Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD).
Diplomats and EU parliamentarians previously accused Orban of “blackmail” because he initially demanded the release of 20 billion euros that the EU had frozen because of rule of law violations in Hungary. He also maintains contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin; last year he was even photographed shaking hands with the Kremlin boss.
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col/til/Reuters/AFP