EU agrees £43bn of vital aid to Ukraine after Hungary’s Orban finally bows to pressure

The European Union has agreed a vital €50bn (£43bn) aid package to Ukraine after the bloc’s top leaders broke through the opposition of Hungary’s prime minister Viktor Orban following weeks of stalemate.

Mr Orban, the closest ally Russian president Vladimir Putin has within the EU, has questioned the idea of committing years worth of funding to Kyiv despite unanimous support from the other 26 EU states. The Hungarian leader had previously blocked an agreement in December, but the pressure from other leaders finally broke his opposition and a deal was announced soon after the summit beginning.

“We have a deal,” Charles Michel, the European Council president wrote on Twitter/X, just five minutes after the summit officially began.

“All 27 leaders agreed on an additional €50bn support package for Ukraine within the EU budget. This