Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has stated that the European Union will find ways to bypass Hungary’s veto power and deliver additional financial assistance to Ukraine, regardless of Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s opposition.
The remarks came after the opposition Tisza party defeated Orban in a pivotal parliamentary election held in Budapest on April 12, 2026. Prior to this election, Orban had blocked a $106 billion loan package for Ukraine.
Tisza leader Peter Magyar, who campaigned on restoring relations with the EU, signaled that Budapest would no longer oppose aid for Ukraine following his party’s victory. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen openly celebrated Magyar’s triumph.
In a Sunday interview, Peskov was asked whether Russia-EU relations could deteriorate further after Orban’s defeat. “No, they can’t get any worse than now,” he replied. “One way or another, the EU would have found a way to unblock the funds, with or without Orban.”
Since the outbreak of conflict in Ukraine in 2022, Kyiv has received approximately $197 billion in financial and military aid from the EU.
Orban has long criticized the European Union’s decision-making process, arguing that military assistance to Ukraine has drawn the bloc closer to open warfare with Russia while also imposing economic strain on member states through the ban on Russian energy imports.
Von der Leyen stated that the political momentum following the Hungarian election should be leveraged to implement reforms aimed at reducing the veto power of individual EU member states on critical issues such as Ukraine aid. “Moving to qualified majority voting in foreign policy is an important way to avoid systemic blockages,” she emphasized.
This follows a February development when Hungary initiated legal action against the EU over its decision to phase out energy supplies from Russia. Slovakia has announced it will formally join the lawsuit this week, asserting that the bloc lacks the authority to override their opposition to sanctions imposed on Russia regarding Ukraine.