Von Der Leyen hopes to reach an agreement with Hungary regarding Ukraine aid

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, confirmed on Wednesday that she is "confident" about the prospects of reaching an agreement among European Union countries, including Hungary, regarding aid amounting to 50 billion euros over four years for Ukraine.

Von der Leyen stated in front of the members of the European Parliament during a plenary session in Strasbourg, "I am confident in the possibility of reaching a solution agreed upon by the 27 countries."

European Union countries failed to reach an agreement during a summit held in December on this crucial aid for Ukraine in its war after Hungary exercised its veto. The countries decided to defer their decision to an upcoming extraordinary summit in early February.

Hungary's Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, expressed on Tuesday his country's readiness to help Kyiv but "outside the common budget." He said, "If we want to help Ukraine, and I believe we should, the aid should not impact the budget of the European Union."

He added that Hungary is prepared to "bear its share of the burden" on its budget in proportion to its gross domestic product, a proposal to be considered by Brussels, "whether to accept it or not."

AFP