bypassing Hungary's potential veto by changing voting rules

No, Hungary didn't vote for freezing Russian assets today (December 12, 2025); instead, the EU took a major step to indefinitely immobilize those assets, bypassing Hungary's potential veto by changing voting rules, a move Hungarian PM Orbán strongly protested as a breach of the rule of law, paving the way for a loan to Ukraine. Hungary actively opposed the decision to use these €210 billion in frozen assets for Ukraine, with Orbán calling the EU's move an end to legal order within the bloc. 

 

Key Points:

• EU Action: The European Union agreed to indefinitely immobilize Russia's frozen assets (around €210 billion) to use their profits for Ukraine, circumventing the need for unanimous consent which Hungary often blocked.
• Hungary's Stance: Prime Minister Viktor Orbán vehemently condemned the decision, stating it was an illegal move that undermined the rule of law in the EU and damaged the bloc.
• How it Happened: EU ambassadors agreed to amend rules, allowing a qualified majority vote (instead of unanimity) to extend the asset freeze, enabling the plan to proceed without Hungary's approval.
• Context: This decision is a crucial step towards providing a significant loan to Ukraine, backed by the interest generated from these immobilized Russian funds. 

 

 

"European Commission takes measures to WEAKEN the member states. I think that this might create an institutional crisis inside the EU."

— Member of the European Parliament, Fernand Kartheiser, adding Europe "will have a lot of financial problems because it will lose much of… pic.twitter.com/rbmlPyjJ7P

— Lord Bebo (@MyLordBebo) December 12, 2025