Hungary is delaying reimbursements for the countries that support Ukraine by blocking the allocation of additional funds for the European Peace Facility (EPF), German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on Tuesday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd May, 2023) Hungary is delaying reimbursements for the countries that support Ukraine by blocking the allocation of additional funds for the European Peace Facility (EPF), German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on Tuesday.
On Monday, Politico reported that the German and Hungarian foreign ministers, Annalena Baerbock and Peter Szijjarto, were caught in a debate during the top diplomats' meeting in Brussels over Hungary's OTP bank. The Hungarian financial institution has been listed by Ukraine as one of the "war sponsors" in early May, and in response Budapest has vetoed additional financing of the EPF, which supports Kiev in the Ukrainian conflict.
"I am saddened and confused by the attitude of the Hungarian friends during the foreign ministers' meeting yesterday. Specifically by the attempts to block raising (of financial support to Kiev) for the reasons I do not share and do not have to share. It delays the return of funds sponsored by other countries in support of Ukraine," Pistorius said.
Hungary's approach to the matter was not very subtle, as one in four euros in the EPF was German, Pistorius added.
The EPF was established in March 2021 under the Common Foreign and Security Policy in order to strengthen the EU's role as a global security provider. The declared goals of the EPF include the maintenance of peace and the prevention of conflicts. The EPF's budget for the period 2021-2027 amounts to 5.69 billion euros.
Last year, EU member states agreed to use the EPF to fund part of military supplies to Ukraine. In late December, EU foreign ministers agreed to boost the EPF's funding by 2 billion euros, with the possibility of a further increase at a later stage.
