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Hungary blocks EU from giving Ukraine EUR 500 million for weapons

The instalment to be disbursed is worth EUR 500 million. It was due to be paid next Monday. The Italian newspaper ANSA reports that Hungary did not approve the grant because it demanded guarantees that the EPF would not use the money exclusively to arm Kyiv, but would maintain its “global horizon” in the future.

The European Peace Facility was created by the European Council to help Member States better strengthen international security, Telex writes. In the Russia-Ukraine war, Member States are buying arms for Ukraine through the EPF.

An answer to Zelenskyy’s leaked plans?

As we reported on Monday, according to a leaked US intelligence wiretap, Volodymyr Zelenskyy planned to destroy Hungarian industry. The Ukrainian president cited pro-Russianism as a reason. The statement was made in mid-February 2023. During a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Yuliya Svyrydenko, Zelenskyy suggested “blowing up” the Druzhba pipeline, which also supplies Hungary.

On the morning of Tuesday, Index published an energy analysis in this context. In the article, the experts interviewed stated that if the Ukrainian president decides to blow up the Druzhba pipeline, all oil supplies to Hungary would be diverted to the Adria oil pipeline, which would theoretically satisfy most of the Hungarian refinery demand.

The Hungarian government’s reaction

The Hungarian government has told Index that it is outraged by Zelenskyy’s remarks. This is compounded by the fact that the OTP Group has been placed on the sanctions list. As they wrote: this is why they have blocked the use of the European Peace Facility.

In its response to Index, the government also said that Raiffeisen has a much larger presence in Russia. Yet, the Ukrainians are not sanctioning it, only the Hungarian bank. As long as Ukraine does not correct this, the Hungarian position will not change. The government’s position is that “sanctions are written in Brussels and not in Kyiv”.

Taymours Aghtaira