Orban slams EU request for additional Ukraine funding as “categorically absurd”

Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban has strongly opposed the European Commission’s call for additional funds to support Ukraine and the ongoing war.

“The President of the Commission is asking for nothing less than an additional €135 billion over 2 years. This is 65% of Hungary’s annual economic output, 7 years of pensions from all Hungarian pensioners, and nearly 3/4 of the EU’s annual budget,” Orban said on X, describing the request as “an astronomical sum that does not exist today. It simply does not exist.”

Criticising the proposed financing mechanism, Orban added, “The Brusselian ‘magic trick’ would once again be a joint European loan, a move that would ensure even our grandchildren would be burdened with repaying the costs of the Russian-Ukrainian war.”

Orban further emphasised the burden placed on Hungary, noting, “They’re asking us, Hungarians, to contribute to this. A country that’s fined €1 million/day because we do not let migrants in. A country that’s financially punished because it has its own position on the war and on gender ideology. This is more than impossible. This is categorically absurd.”

He concluded that Hungary’s response “will come without delay.”

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called on EU leaders to agree by December on how to cover Ukraine’s €135.7 billion financing gap for 2026–2027.

In a letter sent on November 17, von der Leyen said Ukraine needs €83.4 billion for defence and €55.2 billion for economic stabilisation. She proposed three options: member state grants, joint EU borrowing, or a reparations loan backed by frozen Russian assets, potentially raising €140 billion.

The Commission warned that predictable funding is critical as the war could last until late 2026, though Belgium’s legal concerns over using Russian assets remain a major obstacle.

By Aghakazim Guliyev