Anton Hofreiter, chair of the European Committee in the German Bundestag and member of the Greens, said on German television that the country should set up an intergovernmental fund to finance Ukraine that excludes Hungary. He argued that it is in Europe’s security interest to support the Ukrainian government, and that the remaining 25 member states should agree on a solution that does not require Hungary (or possibly Slovakia) to participate.
Hofreiter explained that this approach would prevent individual states from shouldering a disproportionate share of debt for their aid. Instead, an intergovernmental financing fund would be established, guaranteeing the contribution of the 25 states and then disbursing the money to Ukraine. Because the payments would come from the fund rather than from any single member’s budget, there would be no increase in individual national debt nor would the funding be tied to the EU’s own finances.
He also demanded that the frozen Russian state assets held on EU territory be accessed, and that Chancellor Friedrich Merz secure a clear parliamentary majority before any new initiative. Hofreiter criticised Merz’s failure to push the idea through and called for a more decisive German role in EU policy, stressing the need to verify that such measures can indeed succeed.
In addition, Hofreiter called for tougher investment restrictions in Hungary. He said the EU – and Germany in particular – must treat Hungary more rigorously and expressed concern that Rheinmetall, Germany’s largest arms company, is allowed to invest millions, even billions, in Hungary despite the country’s close cooperation with Russia and China. Rumours of business secrets leaking from Hungarian firms to those nations add to his worries. Hofreiter suggested that pressure be applied on Prime Minister Viktor Orban and that Rheinmetall should be informed that such investments would not be accepted.