The European Union has suspended progress on a €20 billion military aid package for Ukraine due to objections from Hungary.
According to a draft document from the EU Council, work on the allocation of the new military assistance was halted on March 4, Politico reported. Diplomatic sources had previously revealed the details of the package on February 21, which was set to include artillery shells, air defense systems, and missiles.
On the same day, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen introduced a proposal for the “rearming of Europe,” aiming to increase defense spending across European nations. The plan outlined an additional €800 billion in defense spending over the coming years, with €650 billion to be raised through an increase in defense budgets by 1.5% of GDP over four years. The remaining €150 billion would be distributed as loans to European countries.
However, as Politico uncovered, von der Leyen’s initiative included a provision for the €20 billion arms package to Ukraine, which was strongly opposed by Budapest. Hungary vetoed the provision during a meeting of EU ambassadors, effectively halting its inclusion. This came after a tense encounter between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, former U.S. President Donald Trump, and JD Vance at the White House.
