Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, has confirmed that EU foreign affairs ministers have agreed to top up the European Peace Facility with 5 billion euros in connection with funding for Ukraine, a decision made with Hungary's constructive abstention. EU member states can abstain from voting on a particular action without blocking it.
Minister Szijjártó said on the sidelines of an EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting that “the price” of Hungary’s agreement not to block the top-up was a rule change to exempt Hungary from involvement in financing arms deliveries. “This means that we have to pay our share of 50 million euros, but we can determine the purpose of its use,” he stated. He added that several important goals could be discussed in light of this, such as strengthening the stability of the Sahel region with a view to combatting migration and supporting the Western Balkans. Szijjártó lamented that EU leaders “did not grasp that the EU’s Ukraine strategy has failed.” The cause of that reluctance could be that such recognition could bring up the issue of taking responsibility for the damages Europe has incurred.” Referring to statements made earlier in the week concerning the possibility of deploying European troops to Ukraine, he appealed to Western European politicians to abstain from making such statements.