EU fails with plans to mark anniversary of Ukraine war

Russian war of aggression

EU fails with plans to mark anniversary of Ukraine war

The EU is experiencing a debacle on the symbolic anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Can Ursula von der Leyen and other top politicians in Kiev do damage control?

The EU has failed to clear the way for new sanctions against Moscow and billions in financial aid for Kiev before the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. As the German Press Agency learned from EU diplomats, Hungary in particular continues to block the necessary decisions. All attempts to persuade Prime Minister Viktor Orban to give in have so far been unsuccessful, it was said.

The blockade is a bitter setback for the EU. On today’s anniversary, she actually wanted to send a strong signal of support to the people of Ukraine, reinforced by a visit by the EU leaders to the capital Kiev. The Ukrainians should be shown that they can rely on the EU’s help in their defense against Russia. At the same time, the aim was to make Russian President Vladimir Putin aware that he should not rely on the weakening of European solidarity and instead come to the negotiating table.

It will probably now only be possible to announce a 100 million euro emergency aid package for Ukraine’s energy security. This is also possible without Hungary’s consent. To date, according to the latest information, the EU has delivered around 11,000 power generation units and 7,000 transformers to Ukraine to cushion the consequences of the destructive Russian air strikes.

The developments are also likely to overshadow the planned commemorative events in Kyiv. In addition to several heads of state and government from EU countries, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Council President António Costa are expected to attend.

Costa had already expressed his dissatisfaction with the Hungarian blockade in a letter to Orban on Monday and accused him of violating the principle of loyal cooperation in the EU. “No member state should be allowed to undermine the credibility of the decisions taken collectively by the European Council,” wrote the former Portuguese prime minister.

He referred to a basic agreement for the new aid to Ukraine that had already been reached at an EU summit on December 18th. The support in the form of loans is expected to amount to up to 90 billion euros by the end of 2027 and will enable Ukraine to continue its defensive fight against the Russian attackers.

Orban’s government publicly justifies the blockade by saying that Hungary is currently no longer receiving Russian oil via the Druzhba pipeline that runs through Ukraine. The leadership in Budapest accuses the neighboring country of deliberately blocking the use of the line for political reasons. According to Ukrainian information, oil deliveries have been interrupted since the end of January due to Russian bombings. Repair work is underway, but is dangerous due to enemy air raids.