Summary of the day
Leaders from the EU’s 27 members met for the second day of a major summit.
Yesterday evening, the leaders reached a historic deal to open accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova.
However, overnight they were unable to reach an agreement on revising the bloc’s budget and on a €50bn package for Ukraine, due to opposition from Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbán.
Orbán told Hungarian radio today that he can still stop Ukraine’s accession at numerous points in the long process.
The prime minister hinted he would link extra funding for Ukraine to the unfreezing of more EU funds for Hungary, suspended over rule-of-law concerns.
Estonia’s Kaja Kallas said: “Ukraine will not be left without support.”
The European Council president, Charles Michel, said after the summit that he is “confident” the bloc will “be in a position to fulfil on our promises to support Ukraine with financial means.”
When it comes to the financial package for Ukraine, the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen said the commission will use the time until the next summit “to ensure that whatever happens at this next [European Council], we will have an operational solution”.
French President Emmanuel Macron said Orbán must not be allowed to take the EU as “hostage” but that he believed the Hungarian leader would “show responsibility”.
Belgium’s Alexander De Croo said that when it comes to Israel and Gaza, “what should be our objective is that the human suffering should end, on both sides”.
Ireland’s Leo Varadkar said “we now have a clear majority of countries here in the European Union calling for a ceasefire.”
The EU’s 27 leaders “had a strategic debate” on the Middle East and agreed that they will “continue to discuss in the future”.
Michel underscored the EU’s commitment to humanitarian aid and access, as well as a political process.
Updated
The German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has underscored continued support for Ukraine.
He also called his proposal to Hungary’s Viktor Orbán to leave the room during a key decision on Ukraine a “friendly Union proposal”, Reuters reported.
Der russische Machthaber wartet darauf, dass Europa schwach wird. Putin setzt darauf, dass die Bereitschaft unserer Länder nachlassen wird, die Ukraine zu unterstützen. Da ist er schief gewickelt. Denn wir werden so lange das Notwendige tun, wie es eben erforderlich ist. #EUCO
— Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz (@Bundeskanzler) December 15, 2023
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