The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has dominated discussions at the recently convened EU summit in Brussels. European leaders are considering substantially boosting funding to aid Ukraine in its defense against Russia and fast-tracking its bid for EU membership. However, Hungary's Prime Minister, a known ally of Russian President Putin, is expected to thwart these plans. The EU operates on a principle of unanimity, meaning that any decision regarding Ukraine's future in the Union must be unanimously accepted by all member states.
Backdoor meetings between Hungary's Prime Minister, the German chancellor, the French president, and other significant EU players have been underway to sway the outcome. Interestingly, this comes after the EU recently released €10 billion worth of earlier frozen funds to Hungary. Critics have termed this move as potential 'bribery', suggesting that Hungary is acting as a 'Trojan horse' for Putin and reportedly disrupting discussions regarding Ukraine's prospective EU membership.
