EU Approves About $24 Million in New Military Aid for Armenia After Hungary Lifts Months-Long Block

The European Union has approved a new package of non-lethal military assistance for Armenia worth about $24 million under the European Peace Facility, according to a report by Radio Free Europe that cited sources in Brussels. The decision ends months of delay caused by objections from Hungary, which had blocked the measure since it was first proposed in March.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó confirmed earlier this year that Budapest was preventing the approval of the aid. He said Hungary was not against supporting Armenia itself but argued that Azerbaijan should receive the same level of assistance. After diplomatic talks and behind-the-scenes negotiations among EU member states, Hungary reportedly withdrew its veto, allowing the package to move forward.

This is the second time the EU has provided military-related assistance to Armenia through the European Peace Facility. The new allocation is double the size of the first package, which was approved in July 2024 after facing similar resistance from Hungary. That earlier support focused mainly on logistics for the Armenian armed forces and included equipment meant to improve operational readiness and civilian protection.

The European Peace Facility is different from most EU funding programs because it is designed specifically to support security and defense needs. Created in 2021, the mechanism allows the bloc to finance training, equipment, infrastructure, and other military-related assistance for partner countries that face security challenges. In Armenia’s case, the 2024 package included a deployable tent camp for a battalion-sized unit and equipment aimed at strengthening logistical capacity.

Hungary’s initial opposition to the new aid package fits into a broader pattern in its foreign policy. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government maintains close relations with Azerbaijan and Turkey and is often viewed as aligned with Russia on major geopolitical issues. Budapest has repeatedly blocked or delayed EU and NATO initiatives in support of Ukraine, which has been fighting Russia’s full-scale invasion since early 2022, and has objected to several rounds of EU sanctions against Moscow.

Ties between Armenia and Hungary have been strained for more than a decade. In 2012, the two countries severed diplomatic relations after Hungary extradited Azerbaijani officer Ramil Safarov, who had been convicted of murdering Armenian serviceman Gurgen Margaryan during a NATO training program in Budapest in 2004. Safarov was later pardoned after returning to Azerbaijan, a move that caused strong backlash in Armenia.

Diplomatic relations between Yerevan and Budapest were formally restored in late 2022, though the two countries have still not opened embassies in each other’s capitals. Despite the lingering sensitivities, Hungary’s decision to drop its objections has now cleared the way for the EU’s latest assistance package to Armenia to go ahead.

—

Support independent reporting from the region by subscribing to The Armenian Report. Our team is funded solely by readers like you.