Orban tests the European Union’s promises to help Ukraine as he stands firm on blocking aid

By RAF CASERT
Associated Press

BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union leaders are struggling to uphold their two most elementary promises to Ukraine: to give it the wherewithal to stave off the Russian invasion and to maintain its hope of joining the 27-nation bloc. The biggest threat to that commitment comes from inside the bloc and Hungary’s increasingly recalcitrant prime minister, Viktor Orban. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sent a video message to the summit, warning that the urgency to find a solution is matched only by the potential blow to the EU’s credibility. Orban has vowed to block the start of membership talks with Ukraine and the release of $50 billion in EU aid.