France and Germany question the plan to bypass Hungary's veto on aid to Ukraine.

France and Germany have expressed skepticism regarding Hungary's plan to veto financial assistance for Ukraine. The two European Union countries declined to support the initiative aimed at circumventing the Hungarian veto. This veto, it should be noted, blocks payments to Ukraine totaling over 6 billion euros.

According to Bloomberg, the European External Action Service proposed allowing EU member states to make voluntary contributions to the European Peace Facility. This could enable funds to be directed to assist Ukraine at the discretion of individual countries without the need for unanimous support from all EU members.

However, as agency sources indicated, some countries, including France and Germany, expressed concerns about setting a precedent that could undermine the role of the EPF as a foreign policy tool. Furthermore, as noted by the publication, in certain countries, voluntary external contributions may require approval from national parliaments, complicating the process.

What support is being offered to Ukraine within the EU

In March, the EU Council agreed to establish a Support Fund for Ukraine under the European Peace Facility, aimed at compensating member states for expenses related to military support for Ukraine. Hungary is currently blocking the allocation of funds from the European Peace Facility for military assistance to Ukraine, asserting that Hungary's contributions will not be used for these purposes. The EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, promises to find a solution to bypass the funding blockage.

It is worth mentioning that Budapest plans to use its share of the funds from the European Peace Facility to support the defense of the African country Chad, rather than to assist Ukraine or supply it with weapons. This was stated by Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto.

During the NATO summit on July 9-11, Hungary publicly opposed Ukraine. Budapest not only refused to join military support for Ukraine but also Prime Minister Viktor Orban stated that Ukraine is not needed in NATO.