Hope for progress: Austria’s foreign minister on Hungary blocking aid to Ukraine

That’s according to Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg, who spoke with journalists on the sidelines of the Council of EU Foreign Ministers in Luxembourg on Monday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"I hope we will be able to make progress on the issue. We have already gone through this in the past," Schallenberg said, commenting on the question of Hungary blocking the allocation of EUR 6.5 billion for Ukraine from the European Peace Facility.

According to him, it should also be recognized that "Hungary, of course, puts forward very specific demands – regarding the rights of minorities, the linguistic rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine." At the same time, he expressed hope that Hungary will not block the decision simply for the sake of blocking it.

"I would also appeal to the future presidency of the EU. Like every presidency, the Hungarian presidency is also called upon within the European Union to take the position of a neutral mediator who tries to promote solutions and not block them," the minister said.

Commenting on the adoption of the 14th package of Russia sanctions by the European Union, Schallenberg said it is more about closing loopholes for circumventing sanctions. He also emphasized that the EU member states once again demonstrated the ability to unite and take a common position.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, Hungary opposes the EU providing collective military support to Ukraine and blocks a number of decisions related to arms supplies to the embattled nation.