EU's unorthodox approach in "Orban-less" Ukraine vote

Hungary is “defending its interests” by blocking EU aid to Ukraine, the Kremlin said Friday, after Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban derailed the bloc’s new 50 billion euro aid package for Kyiv.

“Hungary is a sovereign country. It has its own interests. And Hungary, in contrast to many European countries, firmly defends its interests, which impresses us,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. 

He pointed out that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz asking Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to leave during the vote on Ukraine is a "unique practice."

"This is, perhaps, an EU matter - [I mean] Hungary's relations with the European Commission. It's not our business, but we read with great interest various media reports about, let's say, the practice of making various decisions in the EU, waiting for someone to go out for coffee and so on, in order to push through some decisions while that someone is gone. If this is true, it is a unique practice," the spokesman said.