"It's brilliant": Olaf Scholz suggested Orban leave the hall during the vote on Ukraine

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has defended the procedural trick used on his initiative, which allowed the EU countries to decide to start negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the European Union.

"I would not call it a trick. This is a decision that we unanimously made in accordance with our rules. But this is not something that should be done every time," Scholz said at a press conference following the EU summit in Brussels.

Source. This was reported by DW.

The dispute over the need to start negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU was considered deadlocked before the summit, as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban opposed such a decision.

As a solution to the conflict, Olaf Scholz suggested that Orban leave the summit room to allow the other heads of state to reach the necessary consensus. This allowed Orban to remain in his position, but not to block the decision to start negotiations.

When Orban left the room, the remaining 26 countries voted to start negotiations with Kyiv.

Acting Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte called Scholz's idea "brilliant."

Denmark, in turn, reported that it was not a "coffee break" for Orban, as some media outlets described the situation, but simply that the Hungarian prime minister wanted to go to the bathroom.

Olaf Scholz said at a press conference that his initiative was an "offer of help" to Orban.

"Consensus and compromise do not descend from heaven like the Holy Spirit, they have to be agreed upon," the chancellor emphasized.

Immediately after the decision on Ukraine, which was made in his absence, Orban again spoke out strongly against the start of negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU.

"It is a completely unreasonable, irrational and wrong decision to start negotiations with Ukraine in such conditions," Orban said. He also blocked the allocation of a new multibillion-dollar military aid package to Ukraine.

However, Scholz called the outcome of the December EU summit in Brussels "a very strong signal of the EU's determination" to the Kremlin.

"I am sure that no one in the Kremlin has any illusions. The decision to provide Ukraine with the necessary financial resources will be made. 26 EU countries have already agreed, and 27 countries have nothing to oppose this understanding," the German Chancellor explained.

After the summit, French President Emmanuel Macron said that he expects Orban to "fulfill his obligations, behave like a European and not use political progress as a means of pressure."

Background. The day before, EU leaders at a summit in Brussels approved the European Commission's recommendation to open negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova on joining the bloc.