Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico voiced his support for Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán on Tuesday, criticizing Brussels for trying to “punish” Budapest over its stance on funds for Ukraine.
“As long as I am the head of the Slovak government, I will never agree that a country should be punished for fighting for its sovereignty. I will never agree with such an attack on Hungary,” Fico said Tuesday during a joint press conference with Orbán following bilateral talks in Budapest, Hungarian media reported.
Orbán has been embroiled in an ongoing battle with other EU leaders after blocking a €50 billion aid package for Ukraine at last December’s European Council summit.
The Hungarian leader was alone among his colleagues in the 27-member bloc in opposing the funding, arguing that further cash for Kyiv should come from a separate budget rather than from the EU budget.
“If we want to help Ukraine, which is necessary, we must do it in a way that does not damage the EU budget,” Orbán repeated on Tuesday, adding that if the EU doesn’t accept his proposal, he “will be forced to stop this process.”
For its part, Brussels has been looking for ways to circumvent Orbán’s veto ahead of a February 1 EU summit. Last week, 120 MEPs signed a petition urging the EU to take the next steps to limit Hungary’s voting rights.
But Fico came to Orbán’s defense on Tuesday, agreeing with his proposal to find alternative sources for aid to Ukraine and calling out the EU for trying to curb Hungary’s voting rights.
