European Union to change model of aid to Ukraine to prevent Hungary from interfering – RMF24

The European Union plans to provide Ukraine with a €50 billion loan from frozen Russian assets, bypassing Hungary's veto, according to Polish news outlet RMF24.

On October 9, EU ambassadors plan to approve a decision to allocate a €50 billion loan to Ukraine, funded by revenues from frozen Russian assets.

Most of these funds will be directed towards programs financed from the EU budget, while only 5% will go to the European Peace Facility (EPF), which was previously used to compensate European countries for supplying weapons to Ukraine.

The decision does not require unanimous consent, allowing the EU to bypass Hungary's veto, explains RMF24. However, this also means a significant reduction in the EPF budget, leading to the discontinuation of the practice of transferring weapons from member states' stocks with subsequent reimbursement from Brussels.

On September 10, 2024, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó announced that his country plans to use its share of funds from the EPF to support the defense of the African country Chad, rather than providing aid to Ukraine and supplying it with weapons.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has repeatedly criticized Hungary for lacking unity within the European Union.