Hungary is still blocking a payment of about €2 billion in EU funds for Poland, which is intended to compensate the country for its aid to Ukraine during the war against Russia.
The government of Viktor Orbán is using its veto power to block the payment from the European Peace Facility, an off-budget financing instrument in the European Union that aims to enhance the bloc’s ability to prevent conflicts, build and preserve peace, and strengthen international security.
According to Polish portal Onet, the issue was discussed at a National Security Council meeting convened by Polish President Andrzej Duda before his departure to Washington for the NATO summit.
Hungary, known as the most pro-Russian member of the European Union, has consistently opposed the bloc’s collective military aid to Kyiv and remains the only EU country maintaining high-level relations with the Kremlin since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The country’s Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, recently visited Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, a meeting that drew scorn from European leaders.
A Polish government official told Onet: “If the Hungarians hadn’t blocked payments, we would have already got a lot of money back. In total, we have invested about €4.5 billion in helping Ukraine. We could get about half of it back.”
The official claimed that Hungary is consistently devising new excuses to delay the transfer of funds, adding that the latest reason Budapest has given revolves around the alleged mistreatment of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine.
“A very sharp conversation awaits us,” the official said.
When will the conversation take place?
However, it remains unclear whether this conservation could take place in Washington during the ongoing NATO summit. According to Onet’s sources, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski does not have a one-on-one conversation planned with his Hungarian counterpart.
“Hungary is indeed abusing our trust,” Sikorski told Polish journalists in Washington.
“This is unfriendly and hostile,” he added.
Sikorski emphasized that the money blocked by Budapest would go directly to Poland’s Armed Forces Modernization Fund.
Polish President Andrzej Duda may also have a chance to speak directly with Orbán, though the likelihood of such a meeting remains low.
One of Duda’s associates told Onet: “Orbán’s partner is the Prime Minister [Donald Tusk], not the president… Besides, President Duda has never had a special relationship with Orbán. This is what [Mateusz] Morawiecki [Poland’s former prime minister] took on.”
Recently, in an interview with the Polish private broadcaster TVN24, the Polish president criticized Hungary.
He said: “In matters of foreign policy, especially when it comes to Ukraine, Poland and Hungary, led by Viktor Orbán, today have two completely polar approaches.”
Polish government working on a plan
The arrears to all countries supporting Ukraine amount to a total of about €9 billion.
Last month, the foreign ministers of 26 EU countries bypassed Hungary’s veto on proposed aid to Ukraine, enabling them to grant Kyiv up to €1.4 billion for ammunition and air defenses.
However, as the bypass pertains only to money from frozen Russian assets, this does not solve the problem of the Hungarian blockade of other EU funds.
According to Onet, Warsaw has recently created a plan to put pressure on Orbán on this issue, but the details have not yet been revealed.
“This process has just begun… We will not give up. We are in for a sharp conversation,” the official told Onet.
According to Polish portal Onet, the issue was discussed at a National Security Council meeting convened by Polish President Andrzej Duda before his departure to Washington for the NATO summit.
Hungary, known as the most pro-Russian member of the European Union, has consistently opposed the bloc’s collective military aid to Kyiv and remains the only EU country maintaining high-level relations with the Kremlin since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The country’s Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, recently visited Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, a meeting that drew scorn from European leaders.
A Polish government official told Onet: “If the Hungarians hadn’t blocked payments, we would have already got a lot of money back. In total, we have invested about €4.5 billion in helping Ukraine. We could get about half of it back.”
The official claimed that Hungary is consistently devising new excuses to delay the transfer of funds, adding that the latest reason Budapest has given revolves around the alleged mistreatment of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine.
“A very sharp conversation awaits us,” the official said.
When will the conversation take place?
However, it remains unclear whether this conservation could take place in Washington during the ongoing NATO summit. According to Onet’s sources, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski does not have a one-on-one conversation planned with his Hungarian counterpart.
“Hungary is indeed abusing our trust,” Sikorski told Polish journalists in Washington.
“This is unfriendly and hostile,” he added.
Sikorski emphasized that the money blocked by Budapest would go directly to Poland’s Armed Forces Modernization Fund.
Polish President Andrzej Duda may also have a chance to speak directly with Orbán, though the likelihood of such a meeting remains low.
One of Duda’s associates told Onet: “Orbán’s partner is the Prime Minister [Donald Tusk], not the president… Besides, President Duda has never had a special relationship with Orbán. This is what [Mateusz] Morawiecki [Poland’s former prime minister] took on.”
Recently, in an interview with the Polish private broadcaster TVN24, the Polish president criticized Hungary.
He said: “In matters of foreign policy, especially when it comes to Ukraine, Poland and Hungary, led by Viktor Orbán, today have two completely polar approaches.”
Polish government working on a plan
The arrears to all countries supporting Ukraine amount to a total of about €9 billion.
Last month, the foreign ministers of 26 EU countries bypassed Hungary’s veto on proposed aid to Ukraine, enabling them to grant Kyiv up to €1.4 billion for ammunition and air defenses.
However, as the bypass pertains only to money from frozen Russian assets, this does not solve the problem of the Hungarian blockade of other EU funds.
According to Onet, Warsaw has recently created a plan to put pressure on Orbán on this issue, but the details have not yet been revealed.
“This process has just begun… We will not give up. We are in for a sharp conversation,” the official told Onet.
Source: Onet, TVP World
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