Hungary blocks $534 million in EU aid to Ukraine, again – report
The Council of the European Union has failed to agree on a EUR 500 million ($534 million) tranche of military aid to Ukraine, due to Hungary blocking the motion, RFE/RL journalist Rikard Jozwiak reported via Twitter on Oct. 23.
Budapest is seeking legal guarantees that Hungarian OTP Bank will never again be labeled as an international sponsor of war by Ukraine — something Kyiv has done in the past due to the bank’s continued operation in Russia.
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“As expected, no agreement on the 8th tranche (500 million) of EU military aid for Ukraine when EU foreign ministers met today,” said Jozwiak.
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“The Hungarian OTP [Bank] been de-listed from the ‘doing business in Russia blacklist’ but Budapest wants legal assurances that this is permanent.”
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On May 4, Ukraine's National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) added OTP Bank to the list of international sponsors of war.
On July 21, Budapest announced it would oppose the EU's plan for EUR 20 billion military support to Ukraine unless Ukraine strikes OTP Bank from the list. On Sept. 29, NACP temporarily suspended this status.
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