Orban opposes EU plan to grant more money to Ukraine

European Commission President Proposes €50 Billion in Aid to Ukraine

https://www.eurointegration.com.ua/eng/news/2023/06/20/7164032/

TUESDAY, 20 JUNE 2023

The European Commission is ready to allocate €50 billion in financial aid to Ukraine in the form of grants, soft loans and guarantees.

According to President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the financial assistance is intended for the next four years.

"This financial reserve will allow us really to calibrate our financial support according to the evolution of the situation on the ground," she said.

Von der Leyen stated that this assistance would provide perspective and predictability for the government in Kyiv and "encourage other donors to step up."

According to Bloomberg, the proposed package aims to consolidate aid used for wage payments, pensions, and certain government services with expenses related to the restoration of critical infrastructure.

A conference on the reconstruction of Ukraine will take place in London on June 21-22.

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has said that during the conference, the government will focus on three main aspects: rapid recovery, attracting private investment and regional development.

Hungary opposes EU plan to grant more money to Ukraine, Orban says

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/hungary-opposes-eu-plan-grant-more-money-ukraine-pm-orban-2023-06-30/

Reuters  June 30, 2023

[1/3]German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban attend the European Union leaders summit in Brussels, Belgium June 29, 2023. REUTERS/Johanna Geron

BUDAPEST, June 30 (Reuters) - Hungary rejects the European Commission's plans to grant more money to Ukraine and is not willing to contribute additional money to finance the EU's increased debt service costs, Prime Minister Viktor Orban told state radio on Friday.

Orban, speaking on the sidelines of the EU summit in Brussels, said it was a "ridiculous" request from the Commission that Hungary should contribute more money, when Budapest - along with Poland - has not received funds from the EU's Recovery Fund amid a rule of law dispute.

The European Union will provide Ukraine with 50 billion euros ($54.30 billion) in aid for 2024-27, the bloc's president said on June 20. This comes after a review of the EU's 2021-27 shared budget, which has been depleted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and an energy crisis. High inflation and interest rates have also doubled debt-servicing costs.

"One thing is clear, we Hungarians ... will not give more money to Ukraine until they say where the previous around 70 billion euros worth of funds had gone," Orban said.

"And we find it utterly ridiculous and absurd, that we should contribute more money to finance debt service costs of a loan, from which we have still not received the funds we are entitled to get."

Hungary and Poland are the only EU members lagging behind in getting the recovery funds, which the Commission has blocked over accusations that the two countries' nationalist governments damage democracy and the rule of law.

Orban said there was almost no chance that European Union member states would approve these financial plans and a "long fight" would start.

On Thursday, EU leaders declared they would make long-term commitments to bolster Ukraine's security as Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged them to start work on a new round of sanctions against Russia.

($1 = 0.9209 euros)

Reporting by Krisztina Than; Editing by Susan Fenton

Orbán acts against plan of European Commission to allocate €50 million for Ukraine

https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2023/06/30/7409297/

EUROPEAN PRAVDA   30 JUNE 2023,

 

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has opposed the European Commission’s plan to provide more financial aid for Ukraine.

Source: Orbán during his speech on the Hungarian state radio on 30 June, as reported by European Pravda, referring to the Reuters agency

Quote: "One thing is clear, we Hungarians ... will not give more money to Ukraine until they say where the previous around 70 billion euros worth of funds had gone," he stated.

Details: Orban added that Hungary has still not gained access to the money in the fund, which is being financed from the joint loan by the European countries.

 

Hungary and Poland are the only EU member states to not receive money for rebuilding, which has been blocked by the European Commission due to allegations that the governments of these two countries harm democracy and the rule of law.

Background: 

• On 20 June, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, suggested allocating €50 billion of financial aid for Ukraine in the form of grants and credits.
• She stated that this aid would provide perspective and predictability for the government in Kyiv and "encourage other donors to step up".
• According to Bloomberg, the proposed package aims to consolidate aid used for wage payments, pensions, and certain government services with expenses related to the restoration of critical infrastructure.

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