Brussels

European Union (EU) member Hungary on Thursday (Dec 14) stalled an aid deal worth $54 billion (50 billion euros) for Ukraine from the EU budget. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban put his foot down and delayed the deal until January next year.

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Orban took to X (formerly known as Twitter) and shared the news, saying he had vetoed the deal.

"Summary of the nightshift: veto for the extra money to Ukraine, veto for the MFF (budget) review. We will come back to the issue next year in the European Council after proper preparation," Orban wrote on social media.

EU chief Charles Michel said leaders would return to the issue "early next year" after Orban's opposition. 

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"I don't want to go too much into the details because I want to work with colleagues in the days to come, in the weeks to come to prepare a summit that will take place next year, early next year," Michel said.

Orban tanking the deal came after the bloc opened membership talks for Ukraine. The war-ravaged nation has been desperate to join the EU, to consolidate the member nations in the war against Russia.

Also watch | Hungary blocks Ukraine's EU membership bid

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Ukraine applied for EU membership in February last year, just four days after Russia launched an offensive on Kyiv. 

Initially, Orban had threatened to veto the plan as well but ducked out of it as other members called his bluff.

Also read | Ukraine next EU member? Kyiv may get membership lifeboat amid sinking wartime fortunes

Dutch PM Mark Rutte said the EU's other 26 leaders had agreed to send the aid to Ukraine. 

"With 26 countries we agree. There is no agreement from Hungary at the moment, but I am very confident for next year," Rutte said.

Kyiv desperately needs the money to prop up its war-torn economy, and to change the narrative that backing from its allies is waning. 

Meanwhile, critics have accused the Hungarian leader of holding Kyiv's survival hostage in a bid to force Brussels to release billions of euros of EU funds frozen over a rule of law dispute.