{"id":21043,"date":"2024-02-02T07:01:47","date_gmt":"2024-02-02T05:01:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/?p=21043"},"modified":"2024-02-02T07:01:49","modified_gmt":"2024-02-02T05:01:49","slug":"european-union-approves-54-billion-aid-package-for-ukraine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/european-union-approves-54-billion-aid-package-for-ukraine\/","title":{"rendered":"European Union approves $54 billion aid package for Ukraine"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>The leaders of the 27 European Union nations finalized an agreement to offer Ukraine a fresh $54 billion (50 billion Euros) support package for its economy. This decision was reached despite weeks of Hungary&#8217;s threats to veto the proposal.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>European Council President Charles Michel announced the agreement that was reached in the first hour of a summit he was chairing in Brussels. The EU\u2019s aid package seeks to provide support to Ukraine\u2019s trembling economy which has been deeply affected by the ongoing conflict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe have a deal,\u201d Michel said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. He said the agreement \u201clocks in steadfast, long-term, predictable funding for Ukraine,\u201d and demonstrated that the \u201cEU is taking leadership and responsibility in support for Ukraine; we know what is at stake.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">We will continue to support the brave Ukrainian Armed Forces.<br><br>We have so far mobilised \u20ac28 billion in military assistance.<br><br>And will boost our own capacities with the upcoming Defence Industrial Strategy.<br><br>Aiming to make Europe move from emergency response to defence readiness. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/MNpjiC8nna\">pic.twitter.com\/MNpjiC8nna<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/vonderleyen\/status\/1753068696615219656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 1, 2024<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p>Ukraine\u2019s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said&nbsp;the EU\u2019s approval of the aid package would strengthen long-term economic and financial stability as the war with Russia approaches its third year. \u201cIt is very important that the decision was made by all 27 leaders, which once again proves strong EU unity,\u201d he said on X.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cContinued EU financial support for Ukraine will strengthen long-term economic and financial stability, which is no less important than military assistance and sanctions pressure on Russia,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ukraine has grown increasingly desperate to secure financial support from Western nations. Political delays in both the United States and the European Union regarding aid have strengthened Russian confidence during the protracted war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the Russia-Ukraine war is almost a month away from entering its third year, Kyiv\u2019s war fatigue has settled in Ukraine\u2019s Western allies. This is the second time that the European leadership has come together to approve financial aid for Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/EC-Chief-Ukraine-President-Zelenskyy.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1016\" height=\"677\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/EC-Chief-Ukraine-President-Zelenskyy.jpg?resize=1016%2C677&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (L) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy\" class=\"wp-image-10074\" style=\"width:837px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/EC-Chief-Ukraine-President-Zelenskyy.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/EC-Chief-Ukraine-President-Zelenskyy.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/EC-Chief-Ukraine-President-Zelenskyy.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/EC-Chief-Ukraine-President-Zelenskyy.jpg?resize=589%2C392&amp;ssl=1 589w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/EC-Chief-Ukraine-President-Zelenskyy.jpg?w=1328&amp;ssl=1 1328w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1016px) 100vw, 1016px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em><sup>European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (L) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (R) make statements following their talks in Kyiv on June 11, 2022. (Image Credit: Sergei Supinsky\/AFP)<\/sup><\/em><br><br><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><br><strong>Hungary&#8217;s Orban folds<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The European leaders finally managed to win over Hungary\u2019s Prime Minister Victor Orban with three additions. He had previously blocked the aid package for Ukraine when the group met last month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In December last year, when the meeting was called to approve funds for Ukraine, Hungary\u2019s Prime Minister blocked the European Union\u2019s aid. Orban was the only EU leader to veto a resolution. He also voted against opening Ukraine\u2019s European Union membership application.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Orban, who has close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, was angry at the European Commission\u2019s decision to block his government\u2019s access to some of the bloc\u2019s funds, which they did over concerns about possible threats to the EU budget by Hungary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For his decision to block aid for Kyiv, the Hungarian Prime Minister faced a lot of criticism from his fellow European leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t want to use the word blackmail, but I don\u2019t know what other better word\u201d might fit, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas told reporters as she arrived for the meeting in Brussels. \u201cHungary needs Europe,\u201d she said. \u201cHe should also look into what it is in it for Hungary, being in Europe,\u201d added Kallas, referring to Orban.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Hungary-Prime-Minister-Viktor-Orban.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"690\" height=\"370\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Hungary-Prime-Minister-Viktor-Orban.jpg?resize=690%2C370&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-14460\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Hungary-Prime-Minister-Viktor-Orban.jpg?w=690&amp;ssl=1 690w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Hungary-Prime-Minister-Viktor-Orban.jpg?resize=300%2C161&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 690px) 100vw, 690px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em><sup>Hungary&#8217;s Prime Minister Viktor Orban walking in front of the European Union flag. (Image Credit: Johanna Geron\/Reuters)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>President Zelenskyy also urged the Hungarian President to lift his blockade from Ukraine\u2019s path to join the EU. \u201cI asked him to tell me one reason, not three, five, 10, tell me one reason,\u201d as for why Kyiv should not be a part of the European Union, Zelenskyy said last month about Orban at a press conference following Argentina where he met with the Hungarian leader. \u201cI am still waiting for (an) answer,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The leaders of the 27 European Union nations finalized an agreement to offer Ukraine a fresh $54 billion (50 billion Euros) support package for its economy. This decision was reached despite weeks of Hungary&#8217;s threats to veto the proposal.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13503,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[62,1],"tags":[75,151,24,357,304,20,113,22],"class_list":["post-21043","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-europe","category-news","tag-conflict","tag-estonia","tag-eu","tag-europe","tag-hungary","tag-russia","tag-security","tag-ukraine"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Ukraine-flags-EU-parliament.jpg?fit=690%2C370&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7jJWb-5tp","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21043","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21043"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21043\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21045,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21043\/revisions\/21045"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13503"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21043"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21043"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21043"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}