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The Hungarian government has asked the EU to refrain from any new initiatives that could undermine the Trump-led negotiations.
ADVERTISEMENTHungary has emerged as the main roadblock for the European Union as member states attempt to close ranks and strengthen their unified position in reaction to Donald Trump’s disruptive push for negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.Trump’s initiative, launched without coordination with Western allies, has upended transatlantic relations and stoked fears that Ukraine would be forced into a highly disadvantageous deal that would severely weaken Europe’s long-term security.The American president’s embrace of Russian-esque talking points, calling Volodomyr Zelenskyy a “dictator without elections,” has further compounded the sense of anxiety.With events moving at a dizzying pace, EU countries are trying to catch up and come up with new proposals that can shore up their financial and military support for the war-torn nation while maintaining high pressure on the Kremlin.But Hungary could prove an insurmountable obstacle before the finish line.”We thought that the Democrat administration would fall in the US and a Republican government led by Donald Trump would take over, which will broker peace and in turn boost the economy,” Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in a radio interview on Friday.Meanwhile, his foreign minister, Péter Szijjártó, has threatened to block the renewal of the EU sanctions on Russian and Belarusian individuals, which cover almost 3,000 people and entities considered complicit with the war of aggression.The deadline for the rollover is 15 March and requires unanimity.Szijjártó said “time must be given” for US-Russia talks and criticised Brussels for “rushing decisions that hinder peace efforts,” according to a goverment spokesperson. The minister also voiced opposition to new packages of assistance for Ukraine, saying: “We will not support spending European taxpayers’ money to prolong the war.””We are closer than ever to a solution, as direct US-Russia talks have revived hope for peace,” Szijjártó added.The comments throw into doubt the EU’s ability to speak with a collective voice and reassert its standing amid the Trump-led negotiations.”I think they (Hungary) are raising the stakes very highly,” said a senior diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity. “I hope they will back down sooner rather than later but it’s really quite breathtaking what they’re attempting.”Last month, Hungary vowed to block the renewal of all sectorial sanctions against Russia, including sweeping bans on oil, coal, technology, finance, luxury goods, transport and broadcasting, and the freezing of €210 billion in sovereign assets.Budapest eventually relented after obtaining guarantees from the European Commission about an unrelated gas dispute that Hungary and Slovakia have with Ukraine. Szijjártó now claims the Commission has not respected the commitments.”We’ve seen this game before. Hungarians are up to the usual games and tricks,” said another senior diplomat. “I wish I could say I’m surprised by these shenanigans.”ADVERTISEMENTA third diplomat expressed concern about how Hungary echoes Trump’s rhetoric and predicted “difficult discussions” ahead. However, the diplomat cautioned, there is always a difference between the country’s incendiary words and its actual actions.’Every single procedure’Even if Budapest agrees to renew the individual sanctions before the March deadline, its veto power could still prevent the approval of fresh assistance for Ukraine.For almost two years, Hungary has blocked more than €6 billion from the European Peace Facility (EPF), an off-budget mechanism that partially reimburses member states for their donated weapons and ammunition.Repeated attempts to bypass the veto on the EPF have failed, deepening the frustration of countries still waiting to have their bills paid back.ADVERTISEMENTHigh Representative Kaja Kallas has proposed a new EU initiative to deliver lethal and non-lethal aid, such as artillery, air defence systems, and training equipment, to cover Ukraine’s military needs for 2025. Kallas wants to first strike a political agreement between foreign affairs ministers, who are scheduled to meet on Monday, before asking for a specific sum of money.”We also know that it’s not going to be cheap. Financially and militarily, we need to do more,” a high-ranking EU official explained. “It’s going to be a substantive amount.”Asked how a veto could be circumvented, the official said Kallas would use “every single procedure that is possible,” such as resorting to a constructive abstention or making contributions to the new fund voluntary, rather than mandatory.ADVERTISEMENT”This is now needed to act swiftly, better and more decisively,” the official said.Approving the plan is seen as a high priority to demonstrate the EU’s willingness to assume a greater share of the support for Ukraine, one of America’s key requests.
