After months of blocking EU military assistance to Armenia, Hungary has lifted its veto on a €20 million European Peace Facility (EPF) aid package, clearing the way for the European Union’s second round of security support for Yerevan.
The package, proposed in March, had been stalled solely by Budapest despite broad support from other EU member states. Hungary justified the veto by insisting that EU military assistance to Armenia be matched by equivalent support for Azerbaijan, effectively linking aid for Yerevan to Baku’s interests.
The decision was confirmed this week by RFE/RL Europe Editor Rikard Jozwiak, one day after the Armenian Foreign Ministry announced that EU consensus had been secured. Formal approval is expected in January.
“This week Hungary finally lifted its veto on a €20 million EU military aid package under the European Peace Facility for Armenia,” Jozwiak wrote on X, noting that Hungary continues to block a separate EU assistance package for Ukraine that has been stalled for nearly three years.
The EU first approved EPF support for Armenia in 2024, marking a shift in its security engagement with the country. A follow-up assistance measure was blocked by Hungary until now.
According to an official EU press release, the assistance is intended to strengthen the logistical capabilities of the Armenian Armed Forces, improve civilian protection during emergencies, and enhance interoperability with EU forces. The support includes the delivery of a fully deployable tent camp for a battalion-sized unit.
Relations between Armenia and Hungary have been strained since 2012, when Hungary extradited Azerbaijani officer Ramil Safarov, who had murdered Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan in Budapest in 2004, to Azerbaijan, where he was immediately pardoned and celebrated. Armenia severed diplomatic ties in response.
Diplomatic relations were restored in December 2022 following a meeting between the two countries’ foreign ministers on the sidelines of an OSCE ministerial meeting.
