The rearmament of Europe has received green light, Orban blocks the help for Ukraine
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has refused to sign the EU's conclusions to strengthen the aid to Ukraine, blocking a union's common position during a summit in Brussels on Thursday.
This forced the other 26 countries to come up with their own conclusions that say that « achieving » peace through force « requires Ukraine to be in the strongest possible position, with its own strong military and defensive capacity. »
As well as that the EU « remains engaged, in coordination with followers and allies, to provide enhanced political, financial, economic, humanitarian, military and diplomatic support of Ukraine and its people. »
The text also promises to strengthen the pressure on Russia by imposing additional sanctions and better applying existing ones, « to weaken its ability to continue waging its aggressive war. »
Peace talks about Ukraine
The 26 without Orban indicate five principles for future peace negotiations, which must be conducted with the participation of Ukraine and the EU, that every truce must be part of a peace agreement that must be accompanied by « stable and reliable security guarantees for Ukraine, which contribute to the determination of future Russian aggression. »
European leaders gathered extraordinarily on Thursday to testify to their support for Ukraine after US President Donald Trump stopped military assistance to Kiev after a catastrophic meeting with Ukraine President Volodimir Zelenski in the White House on Friday.
Zelenski was invited to a conversation in Brussels and called on European countries to support the temporary termination of fire by air and in the Black Sea, as well as the exchange of prisoners of war as the first step of a future peace agreement.
Zelenski called Europe to support him to end fire by air and in the Black Sea
On social networks, before the start of the meeting, Orban said that after he saw in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron and French political leaders, including Marin Le Pen, he retains his differences in the « peace modalities ».
Now European leaders have two weeks to try to persuade Hungary to join the general position, saying that they will also deal with their regular gathering on March 21 in Brussels.
Commenting on the failure of Ukraine, Swedish Prime Minister Wolf Kristershon said it was yet to be judged by the legal value of the position of the 26 if Budapest did not join it.
Emergency
European leaders have given the green light to the rearmament plan, which provides for an increase in defense costs in Member States, buying a new weapon and strengthening military production to make Europe « more sovereign, more responsible for its own defense and better prepared to act on its own. »
The Trump effect: What laws, forces and means can Europe use for defense itself
As first priority areaswhich will focus efforts to rearmament have been defined: air and missile defense; artillery systems, missiles and ammunition; Drones and antidron systems, military mobility, as well as the development of space protection and critical infrastructure, cybersecurity; artificial intelligence and electronic warfare means;
European leaders have allowed the Commission to temporarily download some Requirements for compliance with budget discipline In particular, the amount of state deficits that should not transfer 60% of GDP, as well as allow defense costs not to be calculated when calculating state indebtedness. According to the rules in force, such costs should lead to the order by the Commission of Excessive Deficit Procedures, which require national authorities to take action to overcome them.
They assigned to Ursula von der Layen to « quickly submit the relevant proposals » to secure additional sources of fundingincluding from European funds. In particular, the catch-up funds given to the more backward countries and the Inveteu investment program for major infrastructure projects.
Bulgaria wants to invest in the military industry the unused money from the recovery plan
The Commission will submit to them for approval Conditions to occupy € 150 billion loans from world marketssecured by the EU budget. The leaders did not unanimity on the idea of France, Spain and Italy to allocate the money as a grant, which is possible for plans for recovery and sustainability, for which the European Commission is also raising money on the stock markets.
An effort will be made to « more systematic demanding, harmonization of requirements and joint orders in order to reduce overall costs, to guarantee standardization and interoperability, » the conclusions of the Brussels meeting said.
