Slovakia’s leader voices support for Hungary’s Orbán in EU negotiations on funding for Ukraine

By JUSTIN SPIKE
Associated Press

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — The leaders of Hungary and Slovakia say they agree on the need to rework a European Union plan to provide financial assistance to Ukraine. That common ground could be a potential boon to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who last month blocked EU efforts to approve a funding package for Ukraine. Slovakia’s prime minister says he agrees with Orbán’s position that the EU should not finance the planned aid package from the bloc’s common budget. He suggests that he will support Orbán when EU leaders meet on Feb. 1 to attempt to salvage the funding package for Ukraine.