The head of Hungary's Foreign Ministry Szijjarto stated that the EU should stop financial aid to Ukraine as there is a "military mafia" operating in the country. He said he would support Trump's peace initiatives.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto on Thursday, November 20, called on the European Union (EU) to stop aid to Ukraine following a corruption scandal involving the state company 'Energoatom'.
"There is a military mafia operating in Ukraine, a corrupt system, and the President of the European Commission, <...> instead of stopping payments and demanding immediate financial audits, wants to send Ukraine another 100 billion euros. This is madness," Reuters quoted the Hungarian Foreign Minister as saying to reporters in Brussels before a meeting with colleagues from other EU countries.
Szijjarto also expressed the opinion that the prospects for Ukraine are currently unfavorable. "Time is not on Ukraine's side. Claiming otherwise is an illusion," he said. The politician added that his country would support initiatives by U.S. President Donald Trump that would contribute to ending the war unleashed by Russia.
Orban compared aid to Ukraine to 'vodka for an alcoholic'
Hungary has repeatedly criticized the aid provided to Ukraine. For example, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, reacting to a letter from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to the leaders of EU member states, in which she described three scenarios for finding nearly 140 billion euros for Ukraine in 2026 and 2027, wrote on his X page that European taxpayers are "being drained of money instead of demanding real oversight or halting payments."
"This is astonishing. <...> This whole story is somewhat like trying to help an alcoholic by sending him another case of vodka," Orban wrote.
The issue of aid to Ukraine becomes even more relevant against the backdrop of the U.S. peace plan
The day before, American and British media reported that the Trump administration is secretly negotiating with Russian authorities on a new plan to end the war in Ukraine. It was noted that this is a 28-point plan that addresses four aspects: peace in Ukraine, security guarantees, security in Europe, and the future of Washington's relations with Moscow and Kyiv.
According to media reports, among the conditions outlined in the document is the transfer of approximately 14.5% of the territory of Donbas, which Ukraine still holds, under Russian control; a reduction of armed forces by half and a refusal of long-range weapons that could strike deep into Russia. U.S. authorities, according to Politico, believe that a framework agreement to end the war could be agreed upon as early as this week. In their opinion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky may agree to the proposed conditions against the backdrop of the corruption scandal in the country.
However, the British Financial Times, citing Ukrainian officials, writes that the country will not agree to the American plan unless substantial changes are made. Sources for the newspaper indicate that the points in the document correspond to "maximalist demands from the Kremlin."
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