BRUSSELS — European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen needs to get to a deal on new Ukraine assist “as shortly as doable,” she stated on Friday.
The problem of the €50 billion assist bundle for Ukraine landed again on her plate on the event of the beginning of the Belgian presidency of the Council of the EU — which positioned her once more in entrance of the Brussels press corps after the December summit the place Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán blocked approving new EU funds for Ukraine.
“After the historic resolution to launch accession negotiations with Ukraine, we should urgently transfer ahead on stabilizing our monetary assist to the nation,” von der Leyen stated. She additionally criticized the “brutal” air strikes by Russia on civilian targets in Ukraine.
The Fee president acknowledged what EU leaders had been already floating proper after the European Council in December — that it may be essential to work round Orbán to get contemporary assist to Kyiv.
An settlement by the 27 EU member states is “the primary precedence,” she stated. “However in fact, we’ve to arrange for different choices. There are the operational options that we’re making ready proper now.”
The Fee will current these options to the European Council. If EU leaders come to a finances compromise on February 1, the Belgian presidency of the Council of the EU will iron out the technical particulars with EU international locations and EU lawmakers.
Barbara Moens contributed reporting.