Lithuanian FM expects Magyar to stop blocking EU Ukraine loan

VILNIUS - Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said on Tuesday he expected Hungarian election winner Peter Magyar to stop blocking a 90-billion-euro European Union loan for Ukraine, calling it the "absolute baseline" for the new administration.

"What everyone expects from Hungary is to unblock those essential decisions; this is not setting the bar high, it is the absolute basic minimum. To unblock the 90-billion-euro loan for Ukraine, in which Hungary is not even participating," Budrys told public broadcaster LRT.

"Also to unblock previously agreed joint decisions where, incidentally, Hungary is also not participating. This concerns, for instance, 6.6 billion euros in support for Ukraine's defence needs - the so-called European Peace Facility - and a host of other decisions," the minister added.

Budrys emphasised that the European Union has frequently failed to reach decisions due to Hungarian opposition.

"I would point out that in the vast majority of cases where we failed as the European Union to adopt a unified position, it was due to a Hungarian veto. (...) This kind of malicious destruction must end. I do not think this is an excessive expectation. It is simply what other EU member states expect of you," Budrys said.

"When you have a destructive element, of course everything falls apart. That is why the expectation for the new Hungarian government was related to this. We will see what their specific positions on individual issues will be. We also understand that the system does not reset immediately after elections; it will probably take time," he added.

The minister said Brussels’ decision to freeze part of the funds earmarked for Hungary was unacceptable to him and expressed hope that the new government’s actions would leave the European Union with no reason to continue blocking support for Hungary.

"These were absolute last-resort, hard measures that the European Union is probably not proud of and, looking ahead, will not call best practice. It was completely unacceptable to me when you have to buy votes for some support or withhold support to unblock certain decisions. This is not good. It shows there is a flaw in the system and it is stalling," Budrys stressed.

"I hope that everything will be done as it should be, and that conclusions will be drawn on the Hungarian side regarding the state of democracy and the issues highlighted by both the European Commission and individual member states. Then the EU will have no reason to block certain support," he added.

The minister said he was convinced that the interactions of Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto and Prime Minister Viktor Orban with the Kremlin would be fully investigated.

"I am convinced that the published facts regarding collaboration with the hostile side will be investigated. (...) I am referring to the Hungarian foreign minister's and prime minister's calls to Moscow and what was discussed. This cannot be left as it is. It is a matter of state responsibility. That question will be answered, and that is a line that is unacceptable to anyone," Budrys said.