Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated at a briefing in Kyiv on March 5 that the Ukrainian side is ready to disclose the address of “one person in the European Union” who is obstructing financial assistance to Ukraine if the loan blockage continues. During his speech, the head of state did not mention specific names but made it clear that he was referring to an influential politician who is hindering the allocation of funds.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Zelensky’s Statements on the Influence of Certain EU Politicians
“We hope that one person in the European Union will not block 90 billion or the first tranche of 90 billion, and that Ukrainian soldiers will have weapons; otherwise, we will give the address of this person to our Armed Forces, to our guys – let them call him and communicate with him in their language,” Zelensky said.
The president also emphasized that there is no alternative for Ukraine to these financial resources, as they are critically important for meeting current defense needs and stabilizing the economy. He pointed out that the issue of blocking assistance entirely depends on the position of just one person in the EU.
The Role of Hungary in Blocking Financial Assistance
In February, Hungary announced its unwillingness to support the allocation of a 90 billion euro loan by the European Union for Ukraine. Such a decision requires unanimous support from all EU member states. Furthermore, due to Budapest’s position, the European Union was unable to agree on the 20th package of sanctions against Russia, which was planned to be approved by the fourth anniversary of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation.
Hungary’s actions to block assistance to Ukraine coincided with the pre-election campaign period: parliamentary elections are scheduled for April 12, where the opposition has a real chance to challenge the incumbent Prime Minister Viktor Orban for the first time in a long while. This political situation influences the decisions of the Hungarian authorities in both domestic and foreign policy contexts.