European leaders will gather for a Summit in Brussels on December 13, 14, and 15 in the buildings of the Council of the European Union.<\/p>\n
EU leaders will discuss, among other things, renewing their support for Ukraine, with a macroeconomic package of 50 billion euros ($54 billion) and a promise of formal membership talks on the table.<\/p>\n
There is just one stone in their path: Hungary.<\/strong><\/p>\n Budapest reaffirmed its opposition to Ukraine\u2019s bid to join the European Union. Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n told the Hungarian parliament that fast-track accession to the EU for neighboring Ukraine does not serve the interests of either Hungary or the EU.<\/p>\n Reuters<\/a> reported:<\/p>\n \u201c\u2019Considering the numbers, economic analyses and taking it seriously that talks (with Ukraine) would aim to grant membership\u2026 then we must say that this thought at the moment is absurd, ridiculous and not serious\u2019, Orb\u00e1n said.\u201d<\/p>\n European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, on the other hand, urged the bloc to support Ukraine for \u2018as long as it takes\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2019Besides our political support, Ukraine also needs our sustained financial support\u2019, von der Leyen told the European parliament. \u2018We must give Ukraine what it needs to be strong today so that it can be stronger tomorrow at the table when it is negotiating a long-lasting and just peace for Ukraine\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n Read: Hungary\u2019s Orb\u00e1n Becomes the Nemesis of Ukraine\u2019s EU Dreams: Opposes Beginning of Ascension Talks, and Is Poised to Block \u20ac50B Military Aid<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Orb\u00e1n is widely expected to veto proposals to allow Kiev to start accession talks and to receive substantial financial and military aid from the EU budget.<\/p>\n \u00a0\u201cOrb\u00e1n, who says the rights of tens of thousands of his ethnic kin living in western Ukraine are being denied, disputed this interpretation.<\/p>\n \u2018There are three areas where even according to the Commission itself, conditions have not been met: corruption, action against oligarchs and the issue of minorities\u2019, Orb\u00e1n said.<\/p>\n Budapest is studying the new law passed by Ukraine on minorities, but it will not guarantee the same rights that Hungarians living in Ukraine enjoyed until 2015, he said.\u201d<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the EU is expected to unlock Hungary\u2019s access to 10 billion euros previously frozen, but it\u2019s unlikely that the gesture will avert a dispute between leaders.<\/p>\n In December 2022, the EU suspended around 21.7 billion euros of cohesion funds planned for Hungary, pending the completion by Budapest of a certain number of reforms.<\/p>\n Read more:<\/strong><\/p>\n Slovakia Goes to the Polls and May Distance Itself From Ukraine \u2013 Bratislava Has Banned Grain From Kiev \u2013 Ex-PM Robert Fico Poised to Win and Turn Country Away From War<\/a><\/p>\n\n AFP<\/a> reported:<\/p>\n \u201cHungary insists it has principled objections to Kiev\u2019s move for membership, arguing that President\u00a0Volodymyr Zelensky\u2019s wartime administration has not done enough to fight corruption. Budapest is demanding a \u2018strategic discussion\u2019 on ties with Kiev before any decision.<\/p>\n [\u2026] But, according to sources close to the debate, Brussels will unfreeze around 10 billion euros \u2014 just under half the blocked funds \u2014 on Wednesday. This, the European Commission will argue, is not to appease Orb\u00e1n after his summit threat but because Hungary has responded to some of its concerns.\u201d<\/p>\n Some EU leaders say that Orb\u00e1n is exploiting the summit and the power of his veto to \u2018blackmail\u2019 Brussels into resuming Hungary\u2019s suspended transfer payments.<\/p>\n \u201cThis could allow, a Brussels source told AFP, around 10 billion euros to be restored to Hungary, starting with a down payment of 500 million, once the \u2018final questions have been resolved\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n Read more:<\/strong><\/p>\n Panic in Brussels: France\u2019s Macron and Other European Leaders Scramble To Try To Make Hungarian PM Orb\u00e1n Remove His Opposition to Ukraine EU Accession Talks<\/a><\/p>\n\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The post EU Summit Kicks off With Hungarian PM Orb\u00e1n as the Great \u2018Villain\u2019 Vetoing Ukraine Aid and Membership<\/a> appeared first on The Gateway Pundit<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" European leaders will gather for a Summit in Brussels on December 13, 14, and 15 in the buildings<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21916","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n