
Hungary has blocked the European Union’s declaration that the bloc was to issue later on February 23 on the two-year anniversary of the start of the unprovoked Russian invasion of Ukraine.
This was reported by several sources in Brussels who were aware of the process and with whom Radio Free Europe had spoken.
The EU is currently working on the statement to be issued on behalf of the three presidents of the main institutions: Ursula von der Leyen of the European Commission, Roberta Metsola of the European Parliament and Charles Michel of the European Council.
In order to make a statement on behalf of the EU, all 27 member states must agree. Budapest disputes the statement without giving a specific explanation, EU officials told RFE, but one diplomat said the wording of the statement was “just too strict for them [Hungary]”.
Hungary has rejected several EU declarations in recent years. The most recent case occurred earlier this week when Budapest attempted to block the approval of 26 other member states against an announced Israeli military operation against Hamas – the Palestinian group classified as a terrorist organization by the United States and the EU – in the south of the Gaza Strip. Previously, Hungary had also vetoed a statement criticizing China, Russia and Azerbaijan for its war against Armenia.
Despite the war in Ukraine, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and stated that he is proud to communicate with Moscow, despite this angering European Union leaders.
February 24 marks two years since Russia launched its invasion of neighboring Ukraine. The war has cost tens of thousands of lives, displaced millions and devastated Ukraine’s infrastructure.
At the beginning of the week, the EU announced that it had agreed on a new package of sanctions against Russia as a result of the war in Ukraine.