Top EU court throws out Orban-era attempt to block funds for Ukraine
The Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the EU has thrown out Orban's attempt to block military aid for Ukraine as "it does not fall within the jurisdiction" of the court.
On September 9, the European Union's top court, the Court of Justice, ruled against a legal challenge from former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. The challenge aimed to block the use of funds linked to frozen Russian assets for military aid to Ukraine. Hungary had sought to challenge the legality of the European Peace Facility, an EU instrument providing security assistance to partner countries, which was funding Ukraine's military aid.
However, the Luxembourg-based court dismissed the action, stating it does not fall within its jurisdiction. The European Peace Facility, established to prevent conflict and provide non-lethal aid, has been expanded to provide direct lethal aid to Ukraine, delivering 11.1 billion euros ($13 billion) since 2022. Orban's efforts to undermine the peace facility's effectiveness extended beyond legal challenges, as he also blocked the reimbursement mechanism for EU countries purchasing equipment for Ukraine.
Despite this, EU defense ministers agreed on Sept. 1 to work on unlocking the facility. Hungary's current prime minister, Peter Magyar, has adopted a more constructive approach towards the EU, affirming Ukraine's right to defend itself without providing direct military assistance.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Independent's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
