Ludmila Zhernovskaya19:59, 06.03.25

European leaders are preparing for a standoff with Hungary over aid to Ukraine and the strengthening of their own defense industry.

Bloomberg reports this , citing officials. Officials are looking for ways to circumvent the block by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. They are considering both the formation of partnerships between willing countries and initiatives that do not require unanimous approval:

“As the continent struggles to respond to US President Donald Trump’s dramatic turn in American foreign policy, the stakes have never been higher and time has never been shorter.”

Thus, Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen spoke about plans to establish a partnership between the countries that can bypass any internal opposition. And some initiatives announced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen do not require the support of all member states.

At the same time, officials and diplomats say the challenge facing Europe is so serious that they will have to take more radical action. This will involve discussing a broader package of measures.

“One way is to raise hundreds of billions of dollars through shared debt, something Orban, who reluctantly agreed to during the COVID pandemic, opposes. A unanimous decision was needed for that,” the article says.

The head of the Warsaw Security Conference, Katarzyna Pisarska, believes that ways to bypass Orban are becoming existential for the EU: “In the coming weeks, I expect attempts to bypass Hungary through more active cooperation and coalition-of-the-willing-type schemes.”

According to the publication, European Council President Antonio Costa planned to find consensus with Orban during a special summit in Brussels today. If he fails, the EU will focus on how to bypass Hungary, rather than argue with it.

Hungary Blocks Ukraine Decision

As is known, Budapest has repeatedly blocked EU decisions related to Ukraine. These actions cause concern among other EU members.

In addition, the Hungarian prime minister became the only EU leader who fully supported the policies of the new US administration. His country also voted with the US against the UN resolution condemning Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

(C)UNIAN 2025