BRUSSELS (AP) 鈥 The European Union failed to agree on a 50 billion-euro ($54 billion) package in financial aid that Ukraine desperately needs to stay afloat, even as the bloc decided Thursday to open accession negotiations with the war-torn country.
The aid was vetoed by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, delivering another tough blow to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after he failed this week to persuade U.S. lawmakers to approve an additional $61 billion for Ukraine, mainly to buy weapons from the U.S.
The start of accession talks was a momentous moment and stunning reversal for a country at war that had struggled to find the backing for its and long faced obstinate opposition .
Hungary's leader decided not to veto the accession talks, but then blocked the aid package.
鈥淚 can inform you that 26 leaders agreed on the (budget negotiation),鈥 European Council President Charles Michel said. 鈥淚 should be very precise. One leader, Sweden, needs to consult its parliament, which is in line with the usual procedure for this country, and one leader couldn鈥檛 agree.鈥
The decisions required unanimity among the EU's members.
Still, Michel, who was chairing the Brussels summit, called the start of accession talks 鈥渁 clear signal of hope for their people and our continent.鈥
Although between opening negotiations and Ukraine finally becoming a member could take many years, Zelenskyy welcomed the agreement as 鈥渁 victory for Ukraine. A victory for all of Europe.鈥
鈥淗istory is made by those who don鈥檛 get tired of fighting for freedom,鈥 Zelenskyy said.
The financial package could not be endorsed after Orban vetoed both the extra money and a review of the EU budget. Ukraine is badly counting on the funds to help its damaged economy survive in the coming year.
Michel said leaders would reconvene in January in an effort to break the deadlock.
Orban had warned before the summit that forcing a decision on the Ukraine issues could destroy EU unity. Decisions on enlarging the EU and on a review of its long-term budget, which contains the 50 billion euros ($54.1 billion) in aid for the government in Kyiv, must be unanimous among all 27 member countries.
Orban had also threatened to veto the start of accession talks but ultimately backpedaled.
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo called the opening of membership discussions a black eye for Russian President Vladimir Putin. 鈥淚t is a very clear message to Moscow. Us Europeans, we don鈥檛 let go of Ukraine,鈥 he said.
Orban said that his opposition remained steadfast, but that he decided not to use his veto because the 26 other nations were in favor. Under EU rules, an abstention does not prevent a decision from being adopted.
An EU official, who insisted on not being quoted by name because the summit negotiations were private, said Orban was 鈥渕omentarily absent from the room in a pre-agreed and constructive manner鈥 when the decision was made.
Orban said he stepped aside since all of his counterparts were committed to putting Ukraine on the EU membership path, though their position did not change his mind.
鈥淗ungary鈥檚 perspective is clear: Ukraine is not ready for us to begin negotiations on its EU membership. It鈥檚 a completely illogical, irrational and improper decision鈥 he said.
Others lauded Orban's gesture. They had been preparing for the summit spilling over into an extra day Saturday.
鈥淐ertainly quicker than any of us expected,鈥 Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said.
鈥淚n fairness to Prime Minister Orban, he made his case, made it very strongly. He disagrees with this decision and he鈥檚 not changing his opinion in that sense, but essentially decided not to use the veto power," Varadkar said.
"I respect the fact that he he didn鈥檛 do that, because it would have put us in a very difficult position as a European Union,鈥 the Irish leader added.
Belgium's De Croo had a slightly different take, saying he thought Orban 鈥渄idn鈥檛 use his veto because he realized that it would be indefensible.鈥
At the same time as Ukraine, the EU leaders also decided to open membership negotiations with .
In the United States, national security adviser Jake Sullivan welcomed 鈥渢he EU鈥檚 historic decision to open accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, a crucial step toward fulfilling their Euro-Atlantic aspirations.鈥
In Kyiv, the news was met with cautious optimism.
鈥淲e are Europe. Ukraine is Europe, the center of Europe. I want us to be given the status of a proud member of Europe,鈥 said Olha Paradovska, a 70-year-old Kyiv resident.
Ivan Olezhko, 19, said the decision to start accession talks was long overdue. 鈥淚f everything goes well, I will be happy, but we don鈥檛 know what will happen next,鈥 he said.
EU leaders had expected the summit to take at least until late Friday before any sort of breakthrough might be clinched, so the fateful announcement came totally unexpectedly after Orban did not block the move by his colleagues.
A beaming Michel came down in the summit media room unscheduled and said 鈥淭his is a historic moment, and it shows the credibility of the European Union. The strength of the European Union. The decision is made.鈥
He said the negotiations would open before a report will be made to the leaders in March.
The surprise came at a dire time for Zelenskyy, straight off where his pleas for more aid from the U.S. Congress fell on deaf ears. Ukraine's president was looking for a better response in Brussels.
鈥淚t is just as important that Ukraine has the means to continue the war and rebuild its country,鈥 De Croo said.
The urgency to find a solution is matched only by the potential blow to the EU's credibility, the Ukrainian president said in a video address to the leaders assembled in Brussels.
鈥淣obody wants Europe to be seen as untrustworthy. Or as unable to take decisions it prepared itself,鈥 he said.
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Associated Press writers Vasilisa Stepanenko in Kyiv, Lorne Cook in Brussels and Justin Spike in Budapest contributed to this report.
