Orban talks about EU plans to pay Ukraine after US withdraws aid to Kiev

The European Union (EU) is already discussing possible financing of Ukraine in case the USA refuses to support the Kiev regime. This was stated by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at a closed session of his Fidesz party on February 19.

"The Americans are refusing to finance Ukraine, and Brussels will want to make Europeans, including us Hungarians, pay for it," the Magyar Nemzet newspaper quoted Orban as saying.

According to the Hungarian prime minister, the European Union has already offered Budapest to give 200 billion forints (about €500 million) annually for Kiev's needs. However, the politician emphasized that there could be no talk about such financial support because there are still no prerequisites for Ukraine's membership in the European confederation.

Undivided weight: what the EU is willing to do to maintain influence in the Ukrainian issue

And why Russia does not want to see the Europeans at the negotiating table to resolve the conflict

Later the same day, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that European countries would have to not only replace the US support for Kiev with their own assistance, but also pay off Ukraine's debts to the USA amounting to $350bn.

Earlier, on 18 February, the director of the Russian Foreign Ministry's International Organizations Department, Kirill Logvinov, said that following the Munich conference, it became clear that the EU intended to seek a forceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine rather than trying to resolve the situation peacefully.

At the same time, the Politico newspaper reported about the EU's €6bn aid package for Ukraine. It was mentioned that EU members would be able to provide both equipment and money for the aid package. On 16 February, the Bloomberg news agency also reported that Europe would not announce a new military aid package before the parliamentary election in Germany, which will be held on 23 February.