EU decides to provide 50 billion euros in aid to Ukraine

The agreement was reached during a summit of European Union leaders held in Brussels on 1 February.

The approval of the aid package was questioned due to Hungary's preliminary objections.

“We have agreement... This unblocks the stable, long-term and predictable financing of Ukraine. The EU is taking over leadership and responsibility in supporting Ukraine. We know what is at stake”, Michel wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Such a package of aid was blocked last December by Hungary's prime minister, Viktor Orban.

Ukraine urgently needs financial and military assistance, amid signals of political fatigue in the West as the Russian invasion of Ukraine is near its anniversary.

Adding to Kiev's concerns, an additional bill on concerns involving $61 billion in aid to Ukraine has been blocked by the American Congress, amid opposition from republican lawmakers.

Orban, the only EU leader who still has close reports with Russian President Vladimir Putin, has been constantly at odds with other bloc leaders over measures to help Ukraine since the launch of Ukraine's Russian invasion in February 2022.

He has voiced opposition to EU sanctions against Russia and has even suggested holding peace talks between Moscow and Kiev.

At the summit in Brussels, leaders of the bloc's 27 member states were required to unanimously decide on the aid package for Ukraine, to be financed by the joint EU budget.

Orban, a right-wing populist who has been in power since 2010, has faced criticism that his opposition to EU assistance to Ukraine constitutes blackmailing the bloc for billions of euros of funds, which the EU has frozen for Hungary due to Brussels' concerns about the level of democracy and rule of law in Budapest.

Before the summit, the bloc's defence ministers met at an informal meeting in Brussels on 31 January to discuss the need to strengthen the bloc's defence industry and for military assistance to Ukraine. / REL