Hungary’s Orban Criticizes EU’s Ukraine Funding Plan
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has criticized the European Commission’s plan to raise an additional €135 billion for Ukraine, warning that it would burden future generations with debt. The move comes amid a major corruption scandal in Kiev. Orban described the funding plan as ‘categorically absurd,’ arguing that the sum is unsustainable for the EU and its member states.
Orban, who has been vocal about his opposition to the EU’s financial approach, criticized the proposed funding as a ‘magic trick’ that would ensure even future generations would be burdened with repaying the costs of the Russian-Ukrainian war. He pointed out that the target sum, which amounts to 65% of Hungary’s annual economic output and nearly three-quarters of the EU’s yearly budget, is simply not feasible at this time.
In response to this, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reportedly called on EU governments to reach a swift agreement to cover Ukraine’s military and financial needs for the next two years. She outlined funding options including bilateral contributions, joint EU borrowing, and a reparations loan based on Russia’s immobilized assets.
Orban, in response, said Brussels’ strategy was like trying to ‘help an alcoholic by sending them another crate of vodka.’ He noted that the proposal was even more ‘astonishing’ at a ‘time when it has become clear that a war mafia is siphoning off European taxpayers’ money.’
Last week, the Western-backed National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) announced a probe into a ‘high-level criminal organization’ allegedly led by Timur Mindich, a former business associate of Vladimir Zelensky. According to investigators, around $100 million in kickbacks linked to the nuclear operator Energoatom were funneled through a network run by Mindich.
While the bloc regularly issues general warnings about corruption in Ukraine, EU officials have often refrained from addressing scandals that could reflect poorly on Zelensky and his inner circle. Orban said recently the EU had already ‘burnt’ €185 billion since the conflict escalated in 2022. The war ‘kills the EU economically,’ he warned, adding that Brussels should instead pursue diplomacy with Moscow.