No decision at EU summit for billions to Ukraine, but Rutte expects a deal soon

The EU leaders were unsuccessful in agreeing on a support package of billions of euros for Ukraine, says outgoing prime minister Mark Rutte. After hours of negotiating at the EU summit in Brussels, Hungary is still blocking the deal.

In January, the government leaders will talk further about support for Ukraine, and Rutte thinks “we will find an agreement then.”

The EU summit got off to a flying start with an unexpected agreement about opening accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova. That was seen as the biggest hurdle before the summit, as Hungary seemed to be planning on blocking it. However, Prime Minister Viktor Orban kept his resistance to the negotiations on increasing the EU budget.

The other 26 EU countries want to offer 17 billion in grants and 33 billion in loans to Ukraine over the next four years. They are willing to spend four billion on other vital issues, like the proper handling of immigration.

The Netherlands does not want ann increase in the EU budget except for the extra money for Ukraine. But this “small hit” is logical, according to Rutte. The expansion will cost the Netherlands “€50, 60, 70 million per year,” according to the outgoing prime minister, which he said was “a small drop in the ocean.” Much of the money would be used for immigration, an essential issue in the Netherlands.

The agreement by the 26 is expected to be more or less finalized in January when they meet again to try and get Hungary on board, say EU diplomats. They do not want to discuss the agreement again for the risk of restarting the negotiation.

Rutte could not explain why Orban might agree to the deal at that time. “It is an assumption. And that assumption is that you need just a little more time.”

According to EU sources, the Hungarian prime minister cannot concede twice in one evening. He could be more accommodating in a month. It is still undecided when the new summit in January will be held precisely. “But we have some time,” says Rutte. “It is not like Ukraine has no money at this moment.”

Rutte is happy that an agreement was reached for Ukraine to begin succession talks with the EU. “I had not expected that this morning, to be honest. When we were stood here, I was afraid that both would not happen today”. According to Rutte, the German chancellor Olaf Scholz brought up the idea of Orban leaving the room for a while so the rest could agree on the conversation.

”He had to go the bathroom, I believe, and then we could finalize the arrangements,” Rutte said with a stern face. But even without Orban, the decision is valid and taken by the whole EU; Rutte confirms, “He was not there at that moment, so he did not need to say yes, but he also did not block it.”

Bosnia and Herzegovina can also begin European Union accession talks in March if the country makes sufficient progress on additional EU demands. Bosnia is, in a sense, benefiting from a favorable mood in the EU for enlargement, but Bosnia and Herzegovina will not receive the same unconditional next step towards EU accession as Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia.

Hungary and Austria in particular considered it important that former countries of the Austro-Hungarian Empire are welcomed under the EU flag, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina. They had hoped for even more support for Bosnia at the EU summit.

The Netherlands actually had doubts about Bosnia and Herzegovina. Earlier this week, outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte said in the Tweede Kamer that he would “rather not” have Bosnia come a step closer to the European Union. But he also said that he, as the representative of the Netherlands, would not be an obstructionist by being the only one to argue against it if other countries were in favor.