As a result of the persuasions of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Italian Prime Minister Giorgi Meloni and French President Emmanuel Macron, he approved the European Union to provide 50 billion dollars in aid to Ukraine. Politico writes this with reference to sources.
Macron invited Orban to lunch at the Elysee Palace in January and asked Orban for his views on how best to integrate Eastern European countries. According to the publication’s interlocutors, the French leader played a key role in the negotiations with the Hungarian prime minister.
One of the sources stated that Macron never wanted to anger Orban, on the contrary, he wanted to attract him to his side.
Sources close to the Italian government said that Meloni started his diplomatic work before the vote in December, and that Orban vetoed aid to Ukraine because he did not support this initiative from the beginning. Italy’s prime minister took action by speaking to his Hungarian counterpart by phone ahead of the vote in January, meeting for an hour-long meeting at the luxury Amigo Hotel in Brussels, and again on the morning of the summit.
According to Politico, this “charm offensive” helped European Council President Charles Michel hastily convene the summit and announce the long-awaited agreement.
Orbán was forced to accept pressure from his colleagues to avoid a major political scandal. The publication’s interlocutors said that on the eve of the final vote, EU leaders showed him “who is in charge here.”
at Politico reportedHe said that the European Union is preparing plan “B” in case Orban blocks the allocation of financial aid to Ukraine at the EU summit to be held on February 1. The plan was for EU representatives during the meeting to support more funding for the European Peace Fund.
Previously Orban saidIt will help resolve the conflict in Ukraine.