Euractiv.com with Reuters Est. 2min 17-05-2023 A German soldier has the badge of the 'European Union Military Assistance Mission Ukraine' (EUMAM) mission attached to his uniform sleeve, as Ukrainian soldiers train on tanks under the supervision of German and Danish instructors prior to a visit of the German and Danish Defense Ministers at the Federal Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) training hub in Klietz, Germany, 5 May 2023. [EPA-EFE/CLEMENS BILAN] Euractiv is part of the Trust Project >>> Print Email Facebook X LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram Hungary did not approve the disbursement of the next tranche of military support for Ukraine provided under the EU’s European Peace Facility (EPF), a government spokesman’s office said on Tuesday (16 May). The EPF, created in 2021, is an off-budget instrument aimed at enhancing the EU’s ability to prevent conflicts, build peace and strengthen international security. EU adopts €5billion fund to train and equip foreign military forces Despite criticism from European lawmakers and advocacy groups, the EU adopted the €5 billion worth French-brokered European Peace Facility (EPF) on Monday (22 March), which will open the door for the bloc to deliver military aid to partner countries and … “Hungary does not agree with the fact that the European Union, along with other existing tools, uses the European Peace Facility solely with regard to Ukraine as this does not allow sufficient funds to be channelled to promote the EU’s interests in other areas,” the government spokesman’s office said in an email response to Reuters about an Italian media report on the matter, which mentions the amount of the tranche – €500 million. Hungary has blocked a €500 million allocation from the European Peace Facility to Ukraine Hungary has blocked the allocation of the eighth tranche of military aid to Ukraine from the European Peace Facility (EPF), ANSA news agency has quoted its source as saying. The amount of… pic.twitter.com/sfYqiBJ1eK — NEXTA (@nexta_tv) May 15, 2023 It said other areas where the funds could be used included the Balkans or North Africa. “For the Hungarian government it is crucial that these issues should be clarified, and that’s why it did not approve the disbursement of the next tranche from the EPF,” the spokesman’s office added. The EU has provided a total of about €3.6 billion for military support for Ukraine so far under the EPF. Hungary, which is member of the EU and also NATO, has refused to provide any military equipment to its neighbour Ukraine, which was invaded by Russian forces in February 2022. Hungary has also repeatedly criticised EU sanctions against Russia, which all 27 EU countries must also unanimously approve, but eventually supported all the agreed measures so far. Hungary has been in a dispute with Brussels, as the bloc has suspended any payments of EU recovery funds until Budapest’s nationalist government implements reforms to improve judicial independence and tackle corruption. In power since 2010, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has clashed with the EU and its executive arm, the European Commission, over Budapest restricting the rights of migrants, as well as tightening state controls over non-governmental organizations, academics, media and courts. (Edited by Georgi Gotev) Read more with Euractiv British-Irish lawmakers push for EU-UK defence cooperation on borderless threats
