The European Union will be able to override any Hungarian veto on 50 billion euros in aid prepared by the humanitarian bloc for Ukraine as the war enters its 21st month, Reuters reports.

The European Commission has proposed expanding the support budget for Ukraine to help Kyiv meet its wage obligations, as the conflict fueled by President Vladimir Putin appears to have no prospect of an end, with 27 member states due to vote on the measure at an EU summit , which will take place on December 14-15.

The European Parliament has already approved the aid package, but some officials worry that Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s Hungary could use its veto power to block it, as it has done with other aid measures for Ukraine.

The aid package, which will be paid for from the multi-annual EU budget, needs the unanimous support of all member states.

But two European officials told Reuters on condition of anonymity that the EU had found a way around a possible Hungarian veto. The plan provides that each member state will be asked to separately approve an aid package for Ukraine, and the total amount approved by them will increase to that proposed by the European Commission.

“Hungary risks being unlucky. We would love to have them on board, but there comes a time when people get tired of Budapest holding everyone hostage. The detour is tiring, but we have it if we need it,” one of the European officials told Reuters.

Hungary is a thorn in the way of aid to Ukraine

Another EU official who spoke to Reuters also said that “the issue of money for Ukraine will be resolved one way or another, Kyiv will receive EU support.”

“If Hungary becomes an obstacle to the unanimity needed for this (not approving the aid package) through the EU budget, member states will find another way, such as intergovernmental agreements or national guarantees,” the EU official added.

Hungary used its veto power last December to block a similar $18 billion proposal, but the Hungarian government dropped its objections after the European Commission agreed to release funds it had frozen over corruption concerns.

Behind the scenes, however, some European officials also warned Budapest at the time that its veto vote could be circumvented by the same more complicated solution now under consideration. But with Russian forces striking Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in the winter during those talks, officials in Brussels were more open to concessions from Budapest.

Asked whether the EU could now resort to such a solution, European Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said last week that:

“Last year we did discuss a ‘plan B’ (…), but we managed to avoid this scenario last year. I hope we can avoid this scenario this year as well.”

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