EU budget talks stall out on topic of Ukraine aid
BRUSSELS — European Union leaders have failed to agree on a $55 billion aid package for Ukraine and on the renegotiation of the EU budget, EU Council President Charles Michel said Thursday.
The financial package could not be endorsed by all 27 leaders, who earlier Thursday agreed to open membership negotiations with Ukraine. The money is aimed at helping the war-torn country weather the Russian invasion.
Ukraine is badly counting on the funds to help its damaged economy survive in the coming year.
Michel, who was chairing a Brussels summit of the EU’s 27 leaders where the decision to open the membership negotiations was made, called it “a clear signal of hope for their people and our continent.”
Although the process between opening negotiations and Ukraine finally becoming a member could take many years, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the agreement as “a victory for Ukraine. A victory for all of Europe.”
“History is made by those who don’t get tired of fighting for freedom,” Zelenskyy said.
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said it also was a black eye for Russian President Vladimir Putin: “It is a very clear message to Moscow. Us Europeans, we don’t let go of Ukraine,” he said.
Orban said his opposition remained steadfast, but, with a unanimous decision required, he decided to let his right to oppose lapse because the 26 others were arguing so strongly in favor. Under EU rules, an abstention does not prevent a decision from being adopted.
An EU official, who asked not to be identified because the summit negotiations were private, said Orban was “momentarily absent from the room in a pre-agreed and constructive manner” when the decision was made.
Orban said he stepped aside since all of his counterparts were committed to putting Ukraine on the EU membership path, though their position did not change his mind.
“Hungary’s perspective is clear: Ukraine is not ready for us to begin negotiations on its EU membership. It’s a completely illogical, irrational and improper decision” he said.
Others lauded Orban’s gesture; they were preparing for a summit that some feared might spill over into an extra day Saturday.
“Certainly quicker than any of us expected,” Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said.
“In fairness to Prime Minister Orban, he made his case, made it very strongly. He disagrees with this decision and he’s not changing his opinion in that sense, but essentially decided not to use the veto power,” Varadkar said.
“I respect the fact that he he didn’t do that, because it would have put us in a very difficult position as a European Union,” the Irish leader added.
Belgium’s De Croo had a slightly different take, saying he thought Orban “didn’t use his veto because he realized that it would be indefensible.”
At the same time as Ukraine, the EU leaders also decided to open membership negotiations with Ukraine’s neighbor Moldova.
In the United States, national security adviser Jake
Sullivan welcomed “the EU’s historic decision to open accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, a crucial step toward fulfilling their Euro-Atlantic aspirations.”
Left on the summit agenda now is a promise to give Ukraine the money and wherewithal to stave off Russia’s invasion, another agenda item held up by Orban.
The Hungarian leader came into the summit vowing to both block the plans by his 26 fellow leaders to officially declare that membership negotiations with Ukraine can start, and more pressingly, deny Kyiv 50 billion euros ($54 billion) in financial aid that the country desperately needs to stay afloat.
“The European Union is about to make a terrible mistake and they must be stopped — even if 26 of them want to do it, and we are the only ones against it,” Orban said in comments released by his office Thursday. “This is a mistake, we are destroying the European Union.”
In Kyiv, the news was met with cautious optimism.
“We are Europe. Ukraine is Europe, the center of Europe. I want us to be given the status of a proud member of Europe,” said Olha Paradovska, a 70-year-old Kyiv resident.
EU leaders had expected the summit to take at least until late today before any sort of breakthrough might be clinched, so the fateful announcement came totally unexpectedly after Orban did not block the move by his colleagues.