Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni played a leading role in changing the decision of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who opposed giving an additional 50 billion euros of support to Ukraine from the EU budget, but later gave up his veto.
The Italian agency ANSA, based on sources from the Government, announced that Meloni and Orban met face to face twice, once last night and the second time this morning, before today’s Summit of EU leaders.
Meloni was said to have played a “leading role” in mediation initiatives that led to 27 member states agreeing to lift Budapest’s veto on a €50 billion EU support package for Ukraine.
It is stated that the additional package of support for Ukraine is not the only issue that Meloni and Orban, allies on the European political scene, discussed for two days in a row.
In other media reports, it was announced that the two leaders also discussed the situation of Italian Ilario Salis, who was arrested in Hungary for last year’s attack on far-right extremists, which has caused tensions between Rome and Budapest in recent days.
According to reports, Meloni presented the situation of Salis, who was brought to the hearing with his hands and feet chained, which caused an outcry from the Italian public, and Orbán said that the Hungarian judiciary is independent and will work to “treat fairly” to an Italian prisoner.
