London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Sep 11, 2025

Poland holds up Ukraine aid and Hungary plans over tax concerns

Poland holds up Ukraine aid and Hungary plans over tax concerns

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki is expected to escalate the issue at a meeting of EU leaders Thursday
Poland tonight refused to back a package deal to release €18 billion in European Union aid for Ukraine as well as two unrelated but linked decisions on Hungary over concerns about a separate minimum corporate tax rate plan, four EU diplomats told POLITICO.

“There’s a lot of frustration with Poland jeopardizing Ukraine aid by blocking the minimum tax,” said an EU diplomat, describing the move as “another hostage-taking situation.”

The four files — the Ukraine support, Hungary's spending plan under the EU's post-pandemic recovery fund, a decision to freeze €6.3 billion in funds for Budapest and the tax reform — were all part of a package deal that was scheduled for adoption by the EU's member countries today.

An original deadline of 5 p.m. was extended until 8 p.m. at the request of Poland. When this was also missed, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, whose country holds the rotating Presidency of the Council, made an eleventh-hour attempt to convince his Polish counterpart, Mateusz Morawiecki, to back down.

But it didn't work. The expectation is that Morawiecki will now escalate the matter to Thursday's meeting of EU leaders in Brussels, diplomats said, despite the issue not formally being on the agenda.

The deadline for adoption has now been extended until Thursday, with no precise timing, diplomats said. Under the terms of the package, if one of the four items is vetoed, as the minimum tax rate currently is by Poland, all four issues won't go through.

Poland has been blocking the minimum tax rate for months before seemingly relenting when it got its recovery plan approved.

Then it was the turn of Hungary to put the brakes on until it dropped its veto on Monday.

But Warsaw raised last-minute reservations on Monday at a meeting of EU ambassadors.

"It’s like an abusive relationship: they keep promising it will be different next time, but deep down we know we will get hurt over and over again," another EU diplomat said.

The Polish government did not reply to a request for comment.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Court Staff Cover Up Banksy Image of Judge Beating a Protester
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
Elon Musk Poised to Become First Trillionaire Under Ambitious Tesla Pay Plan
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
Burning the Minister’s House Helped Protesters to Win Justice: Prabowo Fires Finance Minister in Wake of Indonesia Protests
Brazil Braces for Fallout from Bolsonaro Trial by corrupted judge
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
Nearly 40 Years Later: Nike Changes the Legendary Slogan Just Do It
Generations Born After 1939 Unlikely to Reach Age One Hundred, New Study Finds
End to a four-year manhunt in New Zealand: the father who abducted his children to the forests was killed, the three siblings were found
Germany Suspends Debt Rules, Funnels €500 Billion Toward Military and Proxy War Strategy
EU Prepares for War
BMW Eyes Growth in China with New All‑Electric Neue Klasse Lineup
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
US Justice Department Launches Criminal Mortgage-Fraud Probe into Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Escalating Drug Trafficking and Violence in Latin America: A Growing Crisis
US and Taiwanese Defence Officials Held Secret Talks in Alaska
Report: Secret SEAL Team 6 Mission in North Korea Ordered by Trump in 2019 Ended in Failure
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Florida Murder Case: The Adelson Family, the Killing of Dan Markel, and the Trial of Donna Adelson
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
×