Hungary has once again blocked European Union efforts to provide military aid to Ukraine, stopping a proposed €20 billion ($21 billion) package, Politico reported on March 4.
Despite the EU’s earlier commitment of €60 billion ($63.1 billion) in military aid for 2025, Hungary remains strongly opposed to further financial support. Slovakia has also withdrawn its backing, with Prime Minister Robert Fico stating his government will not send more financial or military aid
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen plans to introduce a new strategy for increasing EU defense spending. However, the latest draft of the European Council’s conclusions no longer includes the €20 billion aid package originally pushed by EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas.
Diplomatic sources say Hungary is solely responsible for blocking the aid, as Prime Minister Viktor Orbán remains skeptical about continued military support for Ukraine. While Budapest supports general EU defense initiatives, it refuses to send more aid to Ukraine—a stance seen as aligning with Moscow.
Orbán’s resistance comes as global politics shift, with former U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance signaling less support for Ukraine. European Council President António Costa has repeatedly tried to convince Orbán to change his stance, but without success.
While Hungary and Slovakia lead the opposition, some EU diplomats suggest France and other key nations are open to delaying, rather than canceling, the financial package. This suggests Orbán’s position may not be as isolated as it seems.
Previously, Hungary pushed for removing eight people from the EU sanctions list against Russia and demanded guarantees on gas transit talks with Ukraine before agreeing to extend sanctions.
