Dpty PM on Orbán's statements about aid to Ukraine: Hungary's position has not changed, Ukraine working consistently with EU

Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Taras Kachka considers the latest statements by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán regarding financial assistance to Ukraine to be unsurprising.

"Hungary's position has not changed; discussions are ongoing. We have a dialogue and consistent engagement with the European Union," Kachka told reporters in Kyiv on Wednesday in response to an Interfax-Ukraine question about whether Orbán's new statements, asserting that Hungary will not support providing any further financial assistance to Ukraine in any form, would harm Ukraine.

Regarding progress on the "reparations loan," the deputy prime minister noted that the European Commission has already presented its options.

"This provides room to reach a unified decision before the European Council meeting, which would allow approval of the regulation allocating the funds for the 'reparations loan,'" Kachka said.

As reported earlier, on November 22 it emerged that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had sent a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urging the EU to join the U.S. peace plan, which includes territorial concessions by Ukraine and a reduction of its armed forces. He also stated that Hungary does not support providing any further financial aid to Ukraine in any form and will not consent to such a decision being made on behalf of or within the framework of the EU.

The EU is considering the possibility of using approximately EUR 170 billion in frozen Russian assets currently held at the Euroclear financial depository in Brussels. The expectation was that EUR 140 billion of these funds would be allocated toward the "reparations loan" for Ukraine.

On October 28, the European Commission said it was working to fulfill the European Council's request to provide answers to outstanding questions about the use of frozen Russian assets for Ukraine, with a decision expected in December.

Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko stated that the International Monetary Fund may introduce a new program that does not directly depend on the provision of the "reparations loan."

Deputy Prime Minister Taras Kachka expects to align positions with partners on the "reparations loan" by December 19.