Hungary blocks EU arms funding for Ukraine, rejects military adviser deployment

Hungary has once again blocked the allocation of more than €6 billion from the European Peace Facility intended for armaments for Ukraine, during a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council, the country’s Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said.

Additionally, Hungary has refused to support the deployment of military advisers from EU countries to Ukraine, citing concerns that such actions could further escalate the conflict, Caliber.Az reports citing Russian media.

The decision came during the final meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council for this year, held in Brussels on December 16.

On December 12, Gergely Gulyás, Head of the Prime Minister's Office, revealed that Russian President Vladimir Putin had considered a proposal from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to initiate a Christmas Day ceasefire and facilitate a prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine. However, Gulyás noted that while Putin did not reject the proposal, he also did not offer support for it.

Earlier, Orban had reported that Hungary had suggested to Kyiv the possibility of a Christmas truce with Moscow, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had declined the offer.

In related news, Hungary and its neighboring countries have found alternative methods to pay for Russian gas supplies amidst ongoing tensions with the EU.

By Vafa Guliyeva