The spokesperson of the European Commission, Balázs Ujvári, announced that the European Commission has postponed the start of providing 90 billion euros in aid to Ukraine until the second half of 2026.

On April 13, after winning the Hungarian parliamentary election, the leader of the Tisza Party, Márton Székely, stated that due to the severe domestic economic situation, Hungary will not participate in lending to Ukraine, but will also not obstruct Ukraine’s loan acquisition process.

Although the 90-billion-euro aid to Ukraine has technically been delayed again, with the change of regime in Hungary, the previous biggest political obstacle has now largely been removed.

Previously, this loan was stalled at the March EU summit due to vetoes from Hungary (and Slovakia). But with the victory of the pro-European Tisza Party, the situation has changed:

New Prime Minister Székely’s position is clear: “Our domestic economy is too weak—we won’t contribute funds, but we won’t block the way either.”

This marks a significant diplomatic shift: unlike the Orbán government, which used this issue as leverage to negotiate the restoration of the friendship pipeline for oil transport, the new government treats it purely as a fiscal matter, thereby severing its political strings.

Interests at Stake

The primary task of Székely’s government is to unfreeze the 17 billion euros in EU funds currently frozen. If Hungary continues to oppose aid to Ukraine, it will not receive this money. Choosing a neutral stance of “not supporting, not blocking” is a necessary cost to repair relations with the EU and secure life-saving financial support.

· Ukraine needs “life-support funds”: massive fiscal deficits, completely dependent on Western financial inflows. The newly appointed Ukrainian foreign minister is urgently lobbying, emphasizing that this funding is vital for “protecting Europe from Russian threats.”

In short, this does not mean the West is abandoning Ukraine. On the contrary, with Hungary’s leadership change, the largest political roadblock to this major aid package has now been removed. Everyone is now simply waiting for the EU to complete the contract paperwork.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1862462745430016/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.