EU leaders, despite Hungary’s insistence that it blocks a major decision, are poised to finalize a plan this week to channel roughly 50 billion euros in support to Ukraine. The outline was described by Johannes Hahn, the European Commissioner for Budget, in a Reuters interview. He suggested that a consensus could emerge quickly as member states work through political and financial details and Hungary weighs the long-term implications for its own interests within the bloc.
Under the proposed financial framework, the EU would restructure its budget to include 33 billion euros in loans and 17 billion euros in grants to Ukraine by 2027. This mix aims to provide Kyiv with both immediate liquidity and longer-term resilience, while ensuring that EU member states contribute in a balanced way to Ukraine’s stabilization and reform efforts.
Hahn noted that the United States had earlier urged the EU to take a leadership role in delivering sustained support for European partners facing security and political challenges stemming from Ukraine’s situation. The idea was that Washington’s call for a long-term, collective approach might encourage the US Congress to consider similar measures, creating alignment across the Atlantic on Ukraine assistance and regional stability.
The commissioner echoed an assessment that Hungary would ultimately align with the package. He argued that Budapest has incentives to participate, given the potential benefits to its own national security and economic outlook. Projections in the draft budget also show an additional allocation of around 15 billion euros earmarked for Hungary, supplementing the 50 billion euros designated for Ukraine. This suggests a broader regional funding strategy that factors in border security, migration pressures, and bilateral collaborations within the European Union.
In Hahn’s view, the proposed aid package serves more than just Ukraine’s needs. It is described as a tool to safeguard and support the borders of neighboring countries, including Turkey, which are identified as “today’s friends of Hungary.” He stressed that the European Commission has prepared a contingency plan, or a “Plan B,” should Budapest not reach agreement within the expected timeframe. This underscores the bloc’s intent to maintain momentum on security and stability across southeastern Europe, even amid political disagreements among member states.
Recalling past commitments, the European Commission outlined a promise that approximately 10 billion euros would be allocated to Hungary, representing a portion of funds that had been frozen the previous year due to concerns over the rule of law and corruption. This portion is framed as an effort to restore financial support to Hungary while linking disbursements to governance benchmarks that the country is expected to meet in order to continue receiving assistance from Brussels.
Looking back, observers have noted how the EU has defined a set of conditions Ukraine must satisfy to progress toward European Union membership. The ongoing negotiations and conditionalities reflect the bloc’s broader approach of tying financial support and political integration to reform performance and compliance with EU standards. As the discussions unfold, the balance between humanitarian aid, regional security, and adherence to rule-of-law principles remains central to the EU’s strategic calculus, with the fate of each country interwoven into the next steps of the union’s long-term plan for stability in Europe.