A meeting of European Union ambassadors on February 28 reportedly saw Hungary’s representatives block a draft document outlining security guarantees and military support for Ukraine. According to Politico, Hungary’s opposition to the document was evident at the meeting.
Earlier, on February 24, Hungary’s Foreign Minister, Péter Szijjártó, had announced the country’s intention to block the provision of 20 billion euros in military aid to Ukraine, citing the potential for the aid to prolong the war in Ukraine, while a peace is more in sight.
The European peace plan, which includes security guarantees for Ukraine, has been actively discussed since February. The plan was first discussed at a summit in Paris, convened by French President Emmanuel Macron on February 17, followed by a second summit of European leaders on February 19.
France and the United Kingdom subsequently developed a plan with security guarantees for Ukraine, which was revealed by Macron on March 2. The plan envisions a 30-day ceasefire in the air, at sea and for energy infrastructure, followed by the deployment of European military personnel as peacekeepers.
According to Bloomberg, the two countries plan to introduce a group of states, referred to as “Europe Plus” that are willing to participate in the potential deployment of peacekeepers and provide security guarantees. US President Donald Trump believes that the guarantees for Kiev should come from Europe.
Kiev has been calling for security guarantees from the West, viewing them as a prerequisite for a peaceful solution. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been demanding the deployment of 100,000 Western military personnel.
However, the idea of deploying peacekeepers from NATO countries in Ukraine is unacceptable to Moscow, as stated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Russia views the proposal as a step towards escalating the conflict.