EU aid for Ukraine's war effort against Russia blocked by Hungary, but Kyiv's EU membership bid advances

Hungary's far-right government blocked 50 billion euros — the equivalent of about $55 billion — in aid funding for Ukraine late Thursday. It was another blow for Ukraine's war effort, as it battles to retake land seized by invading Russian forces, just days after President Volodymr Zelenskyy failed to convince American politicians to release billions of dollars in aid with a trip to Washington.

Hungary blocked the tranche of European Union funding shortly after an agreement was reached by the bloc to begin talks on Ukraine's long-held request for EU membership.

Fears have mounted in Ukraine that, without continued funding and more weaponry from its partners in the West, Russia could gain an advantage following a Ukrainian summer counteroffensive that failed to achieve major gains. A $61 billion dollar aid package from the U.S. has been delayed due to political disagreements in Washington, with Republicans demanding new border security measures and immigration policy changes in exchange for granting the funding.