Source: Hungary’s Refusal to Sanction Russia Tests E.U. Ahead of Ukraine Summit – The New York Times
歐盟領導人週四在布魯塞爾舉行會議，希望批准為烏克蘭設立一項具有里程碑意義的數百億歐元基金，該基金將幫助該國在未來四年內堅持下去，無論戰場上發生什麼，或者美國國會威脅 要削減支持。
匈牙利總理維克托·歐爾班再次成為唯一的阻礙。 歐盟與歐爾班先生仍難以達成妥協，歐爾班先生要求每年對支出進行表決，這意味著此協議需要 27 個歐盟國家每年達成協議。 如果歐爾班先生繼續阻撓，歐盟將領導人已明確表示，他們準備採取一切必要措施來支持烏克蘭，並準備繞過他進行，甚至懲罰他。
即使剩下的 26 名領導人尚未被迫繞過歐爾班先生繼續推進，一個更大的問題現在已經擺在首要位置：歐盟對匈牙利問題該怎麼辦？ 對於一個僅佔歐盟經濟1%的小國來說，匈牙利一直是個大麻煩。 該國與歐盟一直存在爭執，多年來違反歐盟秉持法治規範和價值觀，一直阻礙歐洲對俄羅斯的一些制裁以及瑞典加入北約的努力。
European Union leaders meet in Brussels on Thursday, hoping to approve a landmark multibillion euro fund for Ukraine that will help keep the country afloat for the next four years, no matter what happens on the battlefield, or in the U.S. Congress threatening to cut support.
The only thing standing in their way is Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary. Again.
A compromise with Mr. Orban, who has demanded an annual veto on the spending, has remained elusive, meaning that the unanimity required for such a deal among the 27 E.U. states still seems out of reach. If Mr. Orban continues to stand in the way, E.U. leaders have made clear they are ready do whatever is necessary to support Ukraine and are prepared to work around him — or even to punish him.
Yet even if the remaining 26 leaders are not forced to go ahead without Mr. Orban, a larger problem is now firmly front and center: What will the E.U. do about its Hungary problem?
For a small country that accounts for just 1 percent of the bloc’s economic output, Hungary has been a big headache.
It has been at loggerheads with the E.U. for years over its transgressions against E.U. norms and values pertaining to the rule of law. And it has consistently slowed, shaved or stymied a range of European ambitions, including some sanctions against Russia as well as Sweden’s bid to enter NATO.
