Hungary will provide Ukraine with €187 million ($195 million) in financial assistance as its contribution to a planned EU support package of up to €18 billion in 2023, a government decree said, Reuters reported.
Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government has said it is ready to contribute its share of support to Ukraine, but would prefer to pay it bilaterally rather than through joint EU loans.
“The government remains committed to participating in financial support for war-torn Ukraine,” the government said in a statement.
The decree, signed by Orban, also says that the Hungarian foreign minister should start negotiations with Ukraine to work out an agreement needed for financial assistance.
Earlier, the European Union criticized Hungary for not being tough enough against Russian aggression: having let in hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees, the country refused military assistance to Kiev and periodically blocked anti-Kremlin sanctions.