EU Offers Billions to Hungary in Exchange for Support on Ukraine Aid

The European Commission is planning to release around €13 billion in frozen funds for Hungary in an attempt to prevent Prime Minister Viktor Orbán from vetoing EU aid for Ukraine. The Commission needs unanimous support from all 27 EU countries to update the long-term budget, which includes a €50 billion funding package for Ukraine. Hungary's support is crucial, especially with the expiration of current EU aid for Ukraine in December and the temporary removal of US military funding. Orbán has expressed concerns about Hungarian minorities in Ukraine and demands changes to a 2017 law on linguistic minorities. Releasing the frozen funds is seen as a way to persuade Orbán not to veto Ukraine's aid, but other funds remain blocked due to concerns about democratic standards, graft, treatment of asylum seekers, a controversial "child protection law," and academic independence.