Ukraine gets EU membership boost, but no new European aid, after setback in U.S.
The Hindu
EU leaders agree to open accession talks with Ukraine & Moldova, despite Hungary's veto of financial aid package for Ukraine.
The European Union failed to agree Thursday, December 14, 2023, on a 50 billion-euro (USD 54 billion) package in financial aid that Ukraine desperately needs to stay afloat, even as the bloc decided to open accession negotiations with the war-torn country.
Also read: Is Russia winning the Ukraine war? | Explained
The aid was vetoed by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, delivering another tough blow to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after he failed this week to persuade US lawmakers to approve an additional USD 61 billion for Ukraine, mainly to buy weapons from the U.S..
The start of accession talks was a momentous moment and stunning reversal for a country at war that had struggled to find the backing for its membership aspirations and long faced obstinate opposition from Mr. Orban.
Hungary's leader decided not to veto the accession talks, but then blocked the aid package.
“I can inform you that 26 leaders agreed on the (budget negotiation),” European Council President Charles Michel said. “I should be very precise. One leader, Sweden, needs to consult its parliament, which is in line with the usual procedure for this country, and one leader couldn't agree.”
The decisions required unanimity among the EU's members.
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