Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk criticized President Karol Nawrocki’s meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, stating it contradicted Polish interests.
Orbán Blocking Funds for Poland
Prime Minister Tusk stated Poland is awaiting 2 billion złoty from European funds intended to reimburse costs for military equipment sent to Ukraine in the early stages of the war. He noted the previous government authorized the immediate dispatch of this equipment and that the EU agreed to reimburse contributing nations.
Tusk accused Orbán of personally blocking the disbursement of these funds to Poland.
Hungary Blocks Aid to Ukraine
Tusk also reminded that Orbán recently opposed a 90 billion euro aid package for Ukraine, a loan from the EU intended to support the war-torn country. While Orbán initially agreed to the package in December, he blocked it during a recent European Council summit.
Tusk emphasized that these funds could be decisive in the outcome of the war.
Hungarian Elections and Pipeline Dispute
Hungary is currently in the midst of a parliamentary election campaign, with Orbán seeking re-election and fueling anti-Ukrainian sentiment. A dispute over the Druzhba pipeline, through which Russian oil continued to flow to Hungary, is also a factor.
The situation changed when a section of the pipeline located in Ukraine was damaged during a Russian attack, halting transport. Hungary accuses Ukraine of deliberate action, while Kyiv states the facility is damaged and undergoing repairs.
Allegations of Russian Collaboration
Tusk added that he has received ongoing reports of close collaboration between Hungarian diplomats – close associates of Orbán – and Russian authorities, involving the discreet sharing of information from European institution meetings.
He noted that Lithuania requested the exclusion of the Hungarian delegation during a NATO meeting as early as 2019.
