Prime Minister Viktor Orban said he’s opposed to European Union efforts to boost financing for Ukraine, setting up a potential showdown next month when the bloc could also decide on whether to resume funding for Hungary.
While Brussels and Budapest both deny that the two issues are connected, the timing of the decisions, likely around a Dec. 14-15 summit, has fueled speculation that negotiations on the two issues will become interlinked.
“Hungary hasn’t supported the sending of weapons and I also don’t support sending Hungarian taxpayer money to Ukraine,” Orban said in a state radio interview on Friday. He said he also opposed starting talks with Ukraine over EU membership and that it “won’t be a matter of bargaining.”
The comments are in line with Budapest’s position at ongoing EU talks over Ukraine aid, where Hungary is against a plan to increase funding by €50 billion ($53.4 billion) before the end of the year to shore up Kyiv’s depleted public finances, according to people familiar with the discussions.
Read more: EU Mulls Alternative Ukraine Aid Plan to Bypass Hungary Veto
The move would require an amendment of the bloc’s multi-year budget, which requires unanimity among the 27 member states. Bloomberg reported on Thursday that the EU was considering a backup plan to push through the aid in spite of a veto from Orban.
EU Budget Commissioner Johannes Hahn told lawmakers in Brussels earlier this week that the bloc can’t be blackmailed by holdout members.
“Of course you can make things more complicated, more cumbersome if you need unanimity, but we have seen in the past, being crystal clear, that you cannot stop us on doing things,” he said. “Of course it might be more complicated, thinking about Ukraine. Of course we can find a solution which is only including 26 member states.”
On Friday, Orban reminded his listeners that talks about giving more money to Ukraine were taking place almost a year after the EU suspended more than $30 billion of funding earmarked for Hungary over rule of law and corruption concerns.
“The EU owes Hungary money,” Orban said.
--With assistance from Jorge Valero and Mark Sweetman.