Money for weapons for Ukraine: Hungary blocks Peace Facility again

The foreign ministers of the EU countries at a meeting in Brussels could not agree on unblocking the funds of the European Peace Facility, a mechanism for financing the supply of weapons to Ukraine.

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell called it a shame, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

When asked by Ukrinform whether there is a diplomatic or administrative way to overcome Hungary's veto on the use of billions of U.S. dollars in intergovernmental contributions under the EPF as not only Ukraine suffers, but also member states who cannot receive compensation for military aid already provided to Ukraine, Borrell described as shameful the situation when the EU, due to the veto of one country, has been unable to transfer the funds already allocated to Ukraine under the European Peace Facility for more than a year. He called it a shame from which there is no constructive way out at this stage.

Borrell said he had lost hope that the European Peace Facility can be unblocked.

He said he did not know how to solve the situation. He noted that most EU countries insist on unblocking payments for military aid to Ukraine through the European Peace Facility, which have not been made for many months.

Most states once again expressed their support for the decision to implement a new aid fund for Ukraine, which has been blocked by one member state for more than a year, Borrell said. This member state insists that this is something that cannot be tolerated, he added. Unfortunately, the situation with this blocking remains unchanged, Borrell said.

He said that he had informed the ministers about the use of extraordinary income from frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine. According to Borrell, the first transfer of this money worth EUR 1.4 billion will be made at the beginning of August.