Aid for Ukraine unlikely to be unblocked before elections in Hungary – Tusk

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is using the topic of Ukraine in his domestic election campaign, and therefore it is unlikely that European aid for Kyiv will be unblocked before the elections scheduled for April 12.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated this during a press conference on Friday morning after the European Council meeting in Brussels, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

According to Tusk, European leaders failed to persuade Orbán, and he continues using certain procedural or formal tricks, to block aid for Ukraine. In his view, this is a bad situation from both the Polish and European perspectives, since it is primarily about the chance to stop Russia and its aggression in Ukraine.

He noted that in Brussels they will look for other ways to resolve this problem, but it will not be easy, as financial assistance for Ukraine requires unanimity among EU member states.

Read also: Hungary holds firm on Ukraine loan as EU leaders debate unblocking funds – source

He also stressed that there is no "Plan B" within the EU on this issue.

Tusk stated he believes that before April 12, the date of the elections in Hungary, they would not be able to launch this financial assistance – loan for Ukraine.

As Ukrinform reported, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Friday that the EU will find ways to pay out the promised EUR 90 billion loan to Ukraine despite Hungary's ongoing opposition.

Earlier, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said that Hungary would block EUR 90 billion in financial aid to Ukraine and the EU's 20th sanctions package until the issue of oil transportation through the Druzhba pipeline is resolved.

Parliamentary elections in Hungary will take place on April 12. As of now, the lead of the main Hungarian opposition party Tisza over Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s party Fidesz has slightly decreased.

U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance is expected to visit Hungary in the coming days to express support for Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who faces his toughest parliamentary elections in the past 16 years next month.

Photo: European Union