Hungary believes that financial allocations for Ukraine should not be provided from the European Union budget, and that any financing for Ukraine should be on a “reasonable” schedule, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Thursday, Reuters quoted.

“I am convinced that giving Ukraine 50 billion euros from the EU budget for five years… This is a bad decision,” Orban said at a press conference.

Last week, all 27 EU states, except Hungary, agreed to start accession negotiations with Ukraine. As unanimity was required, Viktor Orbán left the room when the decision was made, and the Hungarian prime minister later confirmed that the compromise was proposed by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

But European leaders have been unable to overcome Orbán’s resistance to revising the EU budget to give Kyiv 50 billion euros and provide more money for other actions such as managing migration.

EU leaders, who would prefer a deal backed by all members but also have a plan B, are expected to try again to resolve the issue at an emergency summit on February 1.

“They want to give Ukraine money from the EU budget, Hungary wants to receive money outside the EU budget. They have the option – if we don’t agree – to solve it outside the budget, but they don’t have the possibility to solve this aspect from the EU budget without Hungary’s approval,” Orbán said.

“They have an opportunity, 26 members, to solve it with a joint loan outside the budget,” he added.

The EU could continue to help with a solution that would involve a deal between the 26 members and Ukraine, but which would block Budapest’s access to EU funds related to the financial package, such as on migration.

The EU has suspended much of Hungary’s funding amid concerns about the state of the rule of law under Viktor Orbán’s regime. Last week, the EU unblocked some of the funds, saying Budapest had reformed its judicial system, but about 20 billion euros remained frozen.

Asked about this on Thursday, Orbán said that Hungary would not want to link the issue of the suspension of EU funds to the funding that will be provided to Ukraine.

“We do not want to link the financial assistance that will be provided to Ukraine with any financial problem of Hungary… this would also violate the principle of loyal cooperation of the EU,” Orban said.