Hungary lifts ban on allocation of €6.6 bln from EU fund for armaments for Ukraine — paper

BUDAPEST, June 5. /TASS/. The new Hungarian government has agreed to use the European Peace Facility to provide military assistance to Ukraine, lifting the ban imposed by the previous cabinet headed by Viktor Orban, the Nepszava newspaper quoted sources as saying.

They said the unblocked 6.6 billion euros are likely to be used to purchase air defense systems for the Ukrainian army.

According to the publication, several sources confirmed that the last Hungarian veto against Ukraine had been lifted, and the decision to use the money from the European Peace Facility to purchase weapons for the Ukrainian army had been made by the EU permanent representatives in Brussels. At the next stage, the European External Action Service, responsible for this fund, will prepare a draft regulatory document, which will later be approved by the EU Council.

Hungary has blocked 6.6 billion euros worth of military aid to Ukraine from the European Peace Facility since 2024. A consensus among the 27 union members was needed to resolve the issue.

The new Hungarian government led by Peter Magyar took a different position. However, it said it would not send its weapons or soldiers to Ukraine.

The European Peace Facility was established in 2021 to finance the European Union's defense and security efforts, including peacekeeping operations. However, after the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine, it began to be used to offset the costs of EU countries for the supply of weapons to the Ukrainian army.