EU's chief diplomats set to 'fight' over supplying arms to Ukraine, says Hungary
The EU Foreign Affairs Council is set to deliberate on providing an additional €6 billion in arms support for Ukraine, according to Hungary’s foreign minister. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has warned that “a big fight” is imminent in Brussels on Monday regarding the distribution of billions of euros set aside to support Ukraine militarily. According to Szijjarto, the EU’s Foreign Affairs Council, consisting of top diplomats from EU member states, is eager to allocate these funds to provide additional military aid to Kiev, particularly during its final meeting of the year, which falls close to the Christmas season.
Before the meeting commenced, Szijjarto noted on Facebook that they “want to free up more than €6 billion” for the purchase of arms for Ukraine. He expressed concern that “even the approach of Christmas cannot dampen the mood of war.” He lamented that the EU’s top diplomats will still engage in discussions about further arming Ukraine, “even with the possibility of a Christmas ceasefire and mass prisoner exchanges on the table.”
In a related development, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban had recently proposed a Christmas ceasefire along with a significant prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine, a proposal that Kiev has rejected. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov indicated that Moscow supports Orban’s initiatives and anticipates that peace consultations will continue.
“There will be a big fight today, but we will not give in… we need a ceasefire in Ukraine, not more weapons!” Szijjarto concluded. Both Hungary and neighboring Slovakia have voiced their opposition to the EU policy of supplying arms to Kiev, advocating instead for a diplomatic resolution to the ongoing conflict.
The meeting in Brussels will be chaired for the first time by the newly appointed EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, Kaja Kallas, who succeeded Josep Borrell on December 1. Kallas has been a proponent of stricter sanctions on Russia and is recognized for her firm stance against Moscow.
Ramin Sohrabi contributed to this report for TROIB News
Before the meeting commenced, Szijjarto noted on Facebook that they “want to free up more than €6 billion” for the purchase of arms for Ukraine. He expressed concern that “even the approach of Christmas cannot dampen the mood of war.” He lamented that the EU’s top diplomats will still engage in discussions about further arming Ukraine, “even with the possibility of a Christmas ceasefire and mass prisoner exchanges on the table.”
In a related development, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban had recently proposed a Christmas ceasefire along with a significant prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine, a proposal that Kiev has rejected. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov indicated that Moscow supports Orban’s initiatives and anticipates that peace consultations will continue.
“There will be a big fight today, but we will not give in… we need a ceasefire in Ukraine, not more weapons!” Szijjarto concluded. Both Hungary and neighboring Slovakia have voiced their opposition to the EU policy of supplying arms to Kiev, advocating instead for a diplomatic resolution to the ongoing conflict.
The meeting in Brussels will be chaired for the first time by the newly appointed EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, Kaja Kallas, who succeeded Josep Borrell on December 1. Kallas has been a proponent of stricter sanctions on Russia and is recognized for her firm stance against Moscow.
Ramin Sohrabi contributed to this report for TROIB News
