Hungary has once again thrown a wrench into European Union efforts to support Ukraine, blocking a proposed €20 billion ($21 billion) military aid package.
This was reported by Politico on March 4.
The move was led by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
Budapest Stands Firm
Despite the EU already committing €60 billion ($63.1 billion) in military assistance for Ukraine in 2025, Hungary remains adamantly opposed to any additional funding. Slovakia has also stepped back from supporting Ukraine, with Prime Minister Robert Fico announcing that his government will not provide any further financial or military aid.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is set to introduce a new framework for increasing European defense spending, but the latest draft of the European Council’s conclusions has already omitted the €20 billion package, which was initially championed by EU Foreign Affairs Chief Kaja Kallas.
Diplomatic sources indicate that Hungary is solely responsible for blocking the aid package, citing Orbán’s deep skepticism of continued military support for Kyiv.
While Budapest does back broader EU defense initiatives, it refuses to send additional military aid to Ukraine, aligning itself more closely with Moscow’s interests.
Pressure from Washington
Orbán’s opposition comes amid a shifting geopolitical landscape, where U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance have signaled their reluctance to back Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a heated White House meeting.
European Council President António Costa has made repeated attempts to persuade Orbán, but those efforts appear to have failed.
“I acknowledge that there are differences in how to achieve peace, particularly with the 'peace through strength' approach,” Costa wrote to Orbán.
However, Costa emphasized a "broad consensus" within the EU that Europe must become "more sovereign, more capable, and better equipped" to handle growing security threats.
Paris and Other EU Capitals Watching Closely
While Hungary and Slovakia are leading the charge against additional aid, some EU diplomats suggest that France and other key European capitals are not entirely opposed to delaying the funding package.
This could indicate that Orbán’s resistance is not as isolated as it may seem, with certain EU members possibly preferring a slower rollout of aid rather than an outright rejection.
Earlier, Hungary also demanded the removal of eight individuals from the EU’s sanctions list against Russia and has been pushing for guarantees on Ukraine’s gas transit negotiations before agreeing to extend EU sanctions.
