Nicosia: The European Union is debating how to use a long-blocked 6.6-billion-euro ($7.6-billion) fund meant to pay back countries for arms given to Ukraine, as Hungary lifts its veto, the bloc’s top diplomat said Monday.
Hungary has told its EU counterparts it is dropping a years-long blockage on the fund as ties improve after new Prime Minister Peter Magyar replaced nationalist leader Viktor Orban.
“We have now a new Hungarian minister, which also means that we are moving on with the unblocking of the 6.6 billion,” EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas said ahead of a meeting of the bloc’s defense ministers.
The money in the European Peace Facility fund was originally meant to partially reimburse EU countries for weapons they have already given to Ukraine.
But Kallas said she wanted to see if part of the funds could be used to pay for new arms for Ukraine to bolster its fight against Russia’s invasion.
“Now it’s also the question whether it should be focused on more giving the aid to Ukraine or actually reimbursements for those contributions that have been already made, so we have put forward a proposal,” she said.
“So, I hope that we can move on this.”
Hungary’s lifting of its veto on the fund is one of a number of moves Magyar has made on support for Ukraine to mend years of dysfunctional relations with Brussels under Orban.
The EU has meanwhile said it will unlock more than 16 billion euros for Hungary that was frozen during Orban’s tenure.
BY: The Times Union
