EU 27 foreign ministers discuss aid to Ukraine and Middle East solutions
(Baonghean.vn) - Russia's TASS news agency quoted a diplomat as saying that EU foreign ministers plan to negotiate with the foreign ministers of both Israel and Palestine to reach a political solution to the conflict in the Middle East.
Specifically, on January 22, TASS reported that the first meeting of the 27 EU foreign ministers this year will focus on the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. According to a senior EU representative, the foreign ministers will address the issue of military and financial assistance to Ukraine, which Hungary is opposing. Budapest did not agree to transfer the eighth tranche of military assistance worth 500 million euros to Kiev, as well as the approval of a new program worth 50 billion euros.
According to the diplomat, EU foreign ministers are also expected to negotiate with foreign ministers of both sides to reach a political solution to the dispute between Israel and Palestine.
Help Ukraine
According to the EU High Representative, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba will inform his European colleagues about the situation on the front line and Kiev's requests via video link.
According to the diplomat, the foreign ministers will also discuss preparations for a special EU summit on February 1, where the bloc must agree on a new €50 billion aid program for Kiev, which Hungary is blocking. As the EU representative made clear, financial support is an “absolute priority” for the bloc.
Additionally, the diplomat stated that Budapest has yet to agree to the EU's eighth tranche of 500 million euros in military assistance to Ukraine through the European Peace Fund.
At the most recent EU summit, held in Brussels on 14-15 December 2023, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban opposed amendments to the EU budget for 2024-2027, which included the allocation of €50 billion to Ukraine. Hungary recommended providing financial assistance to Kiev gradually each year, with strict budgetary controls. At the same time, Budapest felt that extra-budgetary financing should be used instead of joint loans.
Middle East Conflict
The Palestinian-Israeli conflict will also be in the spotlight for the 27 EU foreign ministers. They will hold talks with their Israeli and Palestinian counterparts, and a working lunch is also planned with the foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. The EU plans to seek a political solution to the Middle East conflict, the diplomat said.
The source also said that the EU is considering establishing a mission to protect maritime safety in the Red Sea, but has not set an exact time.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas members crossed into Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip, killing many residents of border settlements and taking hostages. Israel began retaliating against Palestinian lands, as well as areas of Lebanon and Syria. On December 1, 2023, the Israeli military accused Hamas of violating the ceasefire that had been in effect since November 24 and announced that hostilities in Gaza would continue. The Palestinian Authority criticized the United States for Israel's latest attack.
