ER Editor: As we’ve recently pointed out, Orban has been and continues to be very confidently, persistently and publicly giving you-know-what to the EU. See this most recent one —
European liberals lose it over Hungarian government’s latest billboard campaign
RT also picked up the story. EU must reconsider Ukraine policy – member state
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“The European Council should take stock of the implementation and effectiveness of our current policies towards Ukraine including various assistance programs,” Orban writes in the letter, which is undated but bears the stamp of his office.
He also asks why Europe should continue to support Ukraine at a time when the United States, which has provided the bulk of military aid for Kyiv, may not be able to continue funding due to partisan deadlock over future support.
“The European Council must have a frank and open discussion on the feasibility of the EU’s strategic objectives in Ukraine,” the letter states.
“Do we still regard these objectives realistically attainable? Is this strategy sustainable without robust support from the United States? Can we take continuing support from the United States for granted? How do we conceive the security architecture of Europe after the war,” it goes on.
It adds that “the European Council is not in a position to make key decisions on the proposed security guarantees or additional financial support for Ukraine, endorse further strengthening of the EU sanctions regime or agree on the future of the enlargement process unless a consensus on our future strategy towards Ukraine is found.”
Working around Hungary
Orbán’s letter raises the stakes in a long-running standoff between Budapest and Brussels, which is holding back €13 billion in EU funds for Hungary over concerns that the country is falling afoul of the EU’s standards on rule-of-law.
Without saying so directly, the letter suggests that Budapest could use its veto power to block the disbursement of a planned €50 billion in aid for Ukraine — money that’s needed to fund the Ukrainian government while its armed forces fight back against a full-scale Russian invasion.
In addition to the €50 billion, Orban is threatening to block €500 million in planned military aid for Ukraine, as well as the opening of formal negotiations for Kyiv to join the 27-member union, which leaders were hoping to approve at the next gathering of the European Council on December 14 and 15.
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With Hungary ramping up tensions and threatening to hijack the December summit of EU leaders, some countries are already contemplating ways to work around Budapest and keep aid flowing to Kyiv.
One such workaround could see EU countries sending financial aid to Ukraine via bilateral arrangements rather than via EU structures such as the European Peace Facility, which coordinates EU military aid for Kyiv — effectively freezing out Budapest.
But that approach wouldn’t work when it comes to opening formal negotiations for Kyiv to join the EU, as Hungary would have to be part of that process. As a result, and to preserve EU unity, the same diplomat said it wasn’t a good idea to freeze out Hungary quite yet.
CONTINUE READING HERE
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