European Union agrees to $54 billion aid package for Ukraine

The European Union on Thursday agreed to a $54 billion package for embattled Ukraine after overcoming a significant hurdle from Hungary that had for weeks delayed the deal, which will provide much-needed relief for Ukrainians as the U.S. struggles to send new money to Kyiv.

European Council President Charles Michel announced that all 27 member nations backed the plan after he called a summit to discuss how to approve the package blocked by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban since December.

“This locks in steadfast, long-term, predictable funding for #Ukraine,” Michel wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “EU is taking leadership & responsibility in support for Ukraine; we know what is at stake.”

The financial aid package will support Ukraine over the next four years, securing Kyiv with a crucial lifeline of aid as the war with Russia settles into a long conflict.

It also comes as the U.S., Ukraine’s main supporter, is struggling to lock down a deal in Congress tying border security and support for Kyiv together.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the EU support Thursday, writing on X that European unity “sends a strong signal that Ukraine will withstand any challenges, as will Europe.”

“We are creating a sustainable financial instrument that will work not only today but also tomorrow and will strengthen Ukrainian resilience, which in turn will prevent the spread of Russian aggression to other parts of Europe,” Zelensky said.

It wasn’t immediately clear what brought Orban on board. He had raised myriad concerns about the package, including budget concerns.

On Wednesday, Orban had again accused the EU of blackmail, upset because the economic bloc has suspended tens of billions of euros to his country over concerns about democratic backsliding in Hungary.

“The cat is out of the bag. Forget about the rule of law, Hungary is blackmailed for having [its] own opinion on #migration, the war in #Ukraine and #genderpropaganda,” he wrote on X. “We will defend our interests. #Hungary cannot be blackmailed!”

Orban, a far-right leader, has long been a thorn in the side of the EU, but his efforts in recent months to block support for Ukraine have caused significant headaches in Europe. The Hungarian leader is also accused of forging close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, with whom he met last year.