Brussels is too busy trying to plug Ukraine’s €135.7 billion funding gap for 2026-2027 to pay any attention to damning money laundering reports coming from Kyiv, potentially involving senior officials.
But it received a fresh reminder of all this on Monday, after Commission president Ursula von der Leyen asked Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán for more cash for Ukraine.
Orbán described the Commission’s demand as “astonishing,” adding:
At a time when it has become clear that a war mafia is siphoning off European taxpayers’ money, instead of demanding real oversight or suspending payments, the Commission President suggests we send even more.
This whole matter is a bit like trying to help an alcoholic by sending them another crate of vodka. Hungary has not lost its common sense.
Dutch politician Rob Roos hailed Orbán’s comments, jibing that “the corrupt elite need more golden toilet bowls, while young men die on the battlefield.”
Roos was referring to recent searches inside the Kyiv apartments of some top officials, which resulted in the finding of “duffel bags filled with cash” and, indeed, a “golden toilet.” Orbán’s political director, Balázs Orbán, noted that “the whole world was outraged by the golden toilet scandal—except for the Brussels elite and Ursula von der Leyen.”
‼️The whole world was outraged by the golden toilet scandal – except for the Brussels elite & Ursula von der Leyen, who sent a letter to 🇪🇺 EU heads of state and government – including 🇭🇺 @PM_ViktorOrban – urging them to agree by December on a €135.7 billion package to cover… pic.twitter.com/77AFADYJ5h
Others either haven’t read the reports on Kyiv’s growing corruption scandal, or simply don’t care, and are still attacking Budapest for resisting calls to fork out more cash.
Brussels hopes that the funding gap will be filled in time for cash to begin flowing by the second quarter of 2026.
Michael Curzon is a news writer for europeanconservative.com based in England’s Midlands. He is also Editor of Bournbrook Magazine, which he founded in 2019, and previously wrote for London’s Express Online. His Twitter handle is @MichaelCurzon_.
