THE Hungary will block the release of the next tranche of military aid provided by the European Union to Ukrainebut also any new sanctions against it of Russiaunless Kiev removes the Hungarian bank OTP from the list of “war donors”, the foreign minister announced today.

“We cannot give the green light if the OTP it remains on the blacklist,” said Peter Sciarto. “The same also applies to sanctions,” he added.

Hungary has not approved the release of the next tranche of military aid to Ukraine, provided through the European Peace Facility (EPF), seeking assurances that other regions, such as the Balkans or North Africa, will also receive money.

The EPF was created in 2021 and is a tool that aims to strengthen the EU’s capacity to prevent conflicts, build peace and strengthen international security. So far the EU has granted a total of €3.6 billion to Ukraine through this Facility.

Hungary, a member of the EU and NATO, refuses to give military equipment to its neighbor Ukraine and has repeatedly criticized European sanctions against Russia. So far, however, he has agreed to all the measures that have been proposed.