Hungary’s Orban Blocks Aid for Ukraine, Says He Can Still Halt EU Accession 

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrives for a roundtable meeting of the European Council at the European headquarters in Brussels, on December 14, 2023. (AFP)
Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrives for a roundtable meeting of the European Council at the European headquarters in Brussels, on December 14, 2023. (AFP)
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Hungary’s Orban Blocks Aid for Ukraine, Says He Can Still Halt EU Accession 

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrives for a roundtable meeting of the European Council at the European headquarters in Brussels, on December 14, 2023. (AFP)
Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrives for a roundtable meeting of the European Council at the European headquarters in Brussels, on December 14, 2023. (AFP)

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Friday stood by his decision to veto a 50-billion-euro ($54.94 billion) EU aid package for Ukraine and said he could still halt Kyiv's accession to the bloc after membership talks were given the green light.

At a summit in Brussels on Thursday, other European Union leaders bypassed objections from Orban by getting him to leave the room while they took the historic step of agreeing to start accession negotiations with a country at war.

But they could not overcome resistance from Orban - who maintains close ties to Russia - to a revamp of the bloc's budget to channel vital financial support to Ukraine and provide more cash for other EU priorities such as managing migration.

The breakthrough on a membership path came at a critical time for Ukraine with its counter-offensive against Russian invasion forces having failed to make major gains and with US President Joe Biden so far unable to get a $60 billion package for Kyiv through the US Congress.

Orban told state radio on Friday that he had to block the aid package to Ukraine - part of a broader multi-year budget plan - to make sure Hungary will get the funds it wants from the EU budget.

"I have always said that if someone wants to modify the budget - and they want to - then it is a great opportunity for Hungary to make it clear that it must get what it is entitled to. Not half of it, or one-fourth," he said.

The EU leaders ended talks on the financial package, which requires unanimity, in the early hours of Friday morning and said they would try again in January, with some voicing optimism a deal could be clinched then.

If there is no deal at that time, member states could also provide aid individually or strike separate deals.

As for the decision to agree to start membership talks with Ukraine, hailed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as a victory for Ukraine and Europe, Orban stressed the talks would be very long - and Hungary could still block the process later.

"This is a bad decision," the nationalist Hungarian leader said. "Hungary bears no responsibility for this, we can halt this process later on, and if needed we will pull the brakes, and the ultimate decision will be made by Hungarian parliament."

The news on the financing struck a bittersweet note for Ukraine, coming just hours after leaders agreed to open membership talks.

Although membership would likely be many years away, the decision at the Brussels summit takes Ukraine a step closer to its long-term strategic goal of anchoring itself in the West and liberating itself from Russia's orbit.

EU leaders were set to reconvene on Friday to discuss other topics including the Israel-Hamas war.



Rome's Chief Rabbi Criticizes Pope Francis over Israel Remarks

FILE PHOTO: Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni speaks with Pope Francis during an inter-religious prayer for peace at the Colosseum in Rome, Italy, October 25, 2022. REUTERS/Remo Casilli/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni speaks with Pope Francis during an inter-religious prayer for peace at the Colosseum in Rome, Italy, October 25, 2022. REUTERS/Remo Casilli/File Photo
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Rome's Chief Rabbi Criticizes Pope Francis over Israel Remarks

FILE PHOTO: Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni speaks with Pope Francis during an inter-religious prayer for peace at the Colosseum in Rome, Italy, October 25, 2022. REUTERS/Remo Casilli/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni speaks with Pope Francis during an inter-religious prayer for peace at the Colosseum in Rome, Italy, October 25, 2022. REUTERS/Remo Casilli/File Photo

Rome's chief Jewish rabbi on Thursday sharply criticised Pope Francis over the pontiff's recent ramping up of criticism against Israel's military campaign in Gaza, in an unusually forceful speech during an annual Catholic-Jewish dialogue event.
Francis has unfairly focused his attention on Israel compared to other ongoing world conflicts, including those in Sudan, Yemen, Syria and Ethiopia, said Rabbi Riccardo Di Segni, spiritual leader of Rome's Jewish community since 2001.
"Selective indignation ... weakens the pope's strength," Reuters quoted Di Segni as saying.
"A pope cannot divide the world into children and stepchildren and must denounce the sufferings of all," he said. "This is exactly what the Pope does not do."
Francis, leader of the 1.4-billion-member Roman Catholic Church, has recently been more outspoken about Israel's military campaign against Palestinian militant group Hamas. Last week, he called the humanitarian situation in Gaza "very serious and shameful".
A complex ceasefire accord between Israel and Hamas emerged on Wednesday, and is scheduled to start on Sunday.
Relations between the Catholic Church and Judaism have improved in recent decades, after centuries of animosity. The event on Thursday, held at a Catholic university, was organized to mark the 36th annual World Day of Catholic-Jewish Dialogue.
One of the organizers, Rev. Marco Gnavi, a Catholic priest, expressed surprise at Di Segni's comments.
He said he felt "discomfort" because of the rabbi's words.