Budapest/Brussels, 15 December 2023 (dpa/MIA) - Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is linking the EU budget negotiations, including new aid for Ukraine, with the disbursement of frozen EU funds for his country.

"The fact that they want to change the [European] Union's seven-year budget law is an excellent chance for Hungary to get the rest of the withheld funds," Orbán said in an interview with Hungary's state television and radio in Brussels on Friday.

"We have to get not half, not a quarter, but all of it," Orbán said. "We are entitled to this money."

Due to a veto by Hungary, the other EU leaders were unable to approve as planned a €50-billion ($54.72-billion) financial aid package for Ukraine in the early hours of Friday.

Around €21 billion in EU funds for Hungary is currently still frozen. The European Commission released €10 billion of the blocked sum one day before the EU summit on the grounds that Hungary had implemented the judicial reforms required for this.

Members of the European Parliament had criticized the decision as unjustified and accused the European Commission headed by Ursula von der Leyen of allowing itself to be blackmailed.

Orbán also pointed out on Friday that no decision had yet been made regarding Ukraine's accession to the EU.

Hungary still has "75 opportunities to stop this process," he said. Like all national parliaments, Hungary's would also have to ratify Ukraine's accession to the EU.

"If we don't want Ukraine to become a member of the European Union, then the Hungarian parliament will vote against it," said Orbán.

Photo: MIA archive