The EU gang was again checkmated by Hungary. EU liberals gathered in Brussels on Thursday for an urgent meeting. The agenda? To wage a war against Trump’s peace efforts and to dish out a massive €30 billion military aid package to Ukraine.
The five-point agreement included security guarantees for Ukraine, a commitment that no negotiations with Russia would happen without Kiev’s involvement, and a pledge to uphold Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
Basically, the EU wanted to write off Trump’s all peace efforts in one go and further embolden the comedian president of Ukraine.
But then came Hungary’s power punch. The European Union failed to approve the proposal after Hungary vetoed the measure.
Despite strong backing from the other 26 EU members, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban blocked the proposal, delaying further assistance to Kyiv. Orban argued that it went against Hungary’s position.
Orban told media, “It talks about strengthening Ukraine so it can fight even longer. Hungary did not support this because it completely contradicts our stance in favour of peace.”
According to the European Council’s statement, the final decision on Ukraine’s aid has been postponed until the next EU leaders’ summit on March 20.
Meanwhile, European Council President Antonio Costa suggested that EU leaders are exploring ways to continue military aid to Ukraine despite Hungary’s opposition.
Costa said: “Hungary has a different approach on Ukraine, which leaves it isolated within the EU27 – and 26 are more than one.”
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas also hinted at an alternative plan, saying the bloc is working on a “coalition of the willing” that would allow individual member states to continue providing military aid without unanimous approval.
The emergency summit was convened amid concerns over Trump’s recent shift in policy on Ukraine. Reports suggest Trump has frozen new military aid to Kyiv and urged the EU to take greater responsibility for Ukraine’s defense.
While the decision on Ukraine aid was postponed, EU leaders, including Orban, approved a separate initiative to boost European defense spending by up to €800 billion. The plan, called ReArm Europe, was unveiled earlier this week by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who said she would present legal proposals within two weeks.
Here’s why the EU will end up bankrupting itself with its decision to keep funding Ukraine, because it also plans to boost its own defence, which would require substantial investments.
According to Orban, “If now the US quits (financing the war)…why would the other 26 member states have a chance to take this war to the end?” He added, “Today it appears that I have vetoed. But within weeks they will come back and it will turn out that there is no money for these goals.”
And he’s right. Germany has already withdrawn support from Ukraine. Germany recently announced it has reached its limit in supplying weapons to Ukraine. A spokesperson for the defence ministry said that while Berlin has provided significant military aid, it must now prioritize its own defense and European security.
It is estimated that Germany will face an annual budget gap of €30 billion just to maintain defense spending at NATO’s current target of 2% of GDP.
Other EU economies also face this similar challenge. Blinded by hatred towards Trump, these EU countries are happily digging their own grave, however Hungary and Orban are in no mood to follow them.