EU Support Using Russian Asset Interest Help Ukraine Trigger Hungary's Anger

UNSPLASH/Antoine Schibler ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - The European Union agreed to use a profit of 1.4 billion euros (1.50 billion US dollars) from frozen Russian assets for weapons and other aid to Ukraine.

This plan sparked tensions by accusing fellow EU members of violating "disgraceful" rules to ignore their interests.

The EU government in May 2024 decided to use the profits from assets frozen in the EU to help Ukraine, with 90 percent allocated for military aid. But Hungary is still delaying approval of necessary legal action, diplomats say.

Hungary maintains closer ties with Moscow than any other European Union country. They did not give Ukraine weapons.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban criticized EU and other NATO members for doing so, saying they were fueling the war.

At a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg on Monday, June 24, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said a unanimous vote in policy making.

Meanwhile, Hungary's 'noise' was deemed unnecessary because it chose not to participate in the previous decision to underlie the scheme.

"Because Hugaria did not participate in the decision, they did not need to participate in its implementation," Borrell said.

The European Union, which is part of the military aid committee, supported the plan and ministers at a meeting in Luxembourg also supported it, diplomats said. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto did little when Borrell explained the plan, they said.

But Szijjarto is much more vocal on Facebook.

"This is a clear red line, there has never been an example of a violation of common European rules that are as shameless as this before," he said.

"Obviously, our colleagues in Brussels, our EU legal team are reviewing possible legal ways to seek justice for Hungary," said Szijjarto, whose government will take over from 27 EU members in a week.