Hungary Blocks Ukraine's EU Membership Talks, Rejects Aid Proposal

Hungary's refusal to support Ukraine's EU membership and aid proposal comes amid the EU's freezing of funds to Hungary over alleged rule-of-law and corruption failures.

• Hungary's chief of staff, Gergely Gulyás, announced that the country will not support the proposal to admit Ukraine into the European Union, calling it 'premature'.
• Hungary also refuses to support proposed amendments to the EU’s budget, which would provide more than $54 billion in long-term aid to Ukraine.
• Hungary's Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, a known ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has been a main opponent of Ukraine joining the 27-nation bloc.
• The EU requires unanimity among all member nations on matters involving the admission of a new country, giving Orbán a powerful veto.
• The EU has frozen billions in funding to Hungary over alleged failures to adhere to EU rule-of-law and corruption standards, which Hungary claims is 'illegal'.

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