Czech minister calls Orbán a Trojan horse protecting russia's interests destroying European unity

The Minister of European Affairs of the Czech Republic, Martin Dvořák, said that the Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orbán, is a "Trojan horse" that destroys European unity and protects russian interests.

He said this on Sunday after Orbán blocked financial aid to Ukraine during the European Council summit, writes Euractiv.

"Today, Orbán is the Trojan horse that is intensively and, unfortunately, increasingly effectively destroying this unity and trying to show that we should ignore Ukraine," Dvořák said during a debate that aired Sunday on CNN Prime News.

According to the Czech EU minister, Orbán is blackmailing Europe and abusing the right of veto.

It is recalled that Orbán left the meeting hall during the meeting of the European Council, which allowed the summit to approve the start of negotiations with Ukraine. However, he blocked the debate on the revision of the EU's long-term budget, which provided for the allocation of about EUR 50 billion to support Ukraine.

The publication writes that Orbán is criticized for allegedly using the Ukrainian issue as a lever of influence in an attempt to unblock access to EU funds, which were frozen due to the threat to the rule of law in the country by the current Hungarian government. Last week, the European Commission decided to unlock EUR 10 billion after Hungary published a report on judicial reform. However, around EUR 21 billion remains frozen.

"I think the real name (of the Hungarian approach) is blackmail. I think the real name is the abuse of the veto right not to protect the national interests of Hungary but to protect the interests of russia," Dvořák said.

Dvořák's debate partner, Alena Schillerová of the opposition ANO party, refrained from commenting on Orbán's criticism and questioned the appropriateness of including the topic of Ukraine's EU accession talks on the summit's agenda at this time. She noted that Ukraine needs to take a number of reform steps, such as the adoption of a judicial reform or subsidy policy.

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, a high-ranking European official, speaking on condition of anonymity, commenting on Hungary's blocking of important decisions regarding the start of negotiations on Ukraine's membership and the allocation of 50 billion euros of aid to it, said that EU member states are "fed up" with the behavior of the Hungarian authorities.