Denmark and Germany have agreed to participate in the new format of arms supplies to Kyiv proposed by US President Donald Trump, while France, Italy, the Czech Republic, and Hungary have refused, Western media reported on Wednesday.
In addition, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday that Europe increasingly feels the need to end its dependence on US weapons.
“Europe is heavily dependent on the US defense industry. However, due to trade tariffs, President Trump’s attitude toward NATO and his lack of commitment to defending the alliance’s countries, European countries will increasingly prioritize investments in their own defense systems,” the agency’s sources said.
According to the European portal Politico, France has refused to participate in the purchase of American weapons for Ukraine. The publication’s sources said that instead, the government intends to focus on increasing its own defense budget, which President Emmanuel Macron promised last weekend to almost double by 2027 compared to the 2017 budget.
In addition, Paris wants to support European manufacturers who previously supplied Ukraine with anti-missile systems and other weapons.
Italy also has no plans to purchase weapons from the US for delivery to Ukraine, but will continue to provide military assistance to Kyiv. Unnamed representatives of the Ministry of Defense told the newspaper La Stampa that there had never been any talks about purchasing American weapons for Kyiv.
In addition, the newspaper notes that Italy does not have the funds to carry out operations of this kind. According to the newspaper’s sources, the problem is so acute that the only purchase from the US planned by Italy for the next ten years is a batch of F-35 fighter jets for its own needs.
The Czech government, in turn, said that military aid to Kyiv would continue, but through participation in other initiatives and purchases from Czech, not American, manufacturers.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said that Budapest does not intend to participate in the purchase of American weapons for Ukraine.
Berlin and Copenhagen have so far given their official consent to purchase weapons from the US. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Rasmussen said he was fully prepared to join the funding.
The Dutch Foreign Ministry, in turn, said it was considering participating in the program. However, despite the government’s positive assessment of the initiative, Amsterdam has not yet confirmed its commitment to direct participation.
According to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Sweden, Norway, and the United Kingdom are also expected to join the funding.
On July 11, Trump announced that US NATO allies would purchase weapons from Washington, which could then be transferred to Ukraine.
During a press conference with Trump on Monday, Rutte called it “logical” that European countries would pay for US arms deliveries to Ukraine.
European diplomacy chief Kaja Kallas said on Tuesday that EU countries would prefer Washington to provide part of its military aid to Ukraine free of charge. “If we pay for these weapons, it means that we, not the US, are providing this military aid,” Callas said at a press conference in Brussels. She stressed that Brussels “would like to see these costs shared.”
On May 1, 2025, Hungary will introduce restrictions on the movement of freight transport throughout the country.
The Embassy of Ukraine in Hungary officially announces that, in connection with the public holiday declared by the Hungarian side, restrictions will be imposed on the movement of trucks and combined transport vehicles with a maximum permissible weight of over 7.5 tons on the territory of Hungary on Thursday, May 1, from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
We recommend that you take this information into account when planning your trips and international transport.
The Hungarian parliament has voted to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), becoming the first European Union country to do so. Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said that the ICC had lost its impartiality and credibility, turning into a politicized institution.
The decision to withdraw coincided with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Budapest. Netanyahu, against whom the ICC has issued an arrest warrant on charges of war crimes in Gaza, thanked the Hungarian leadership for its “courageous and principled” decision.
According to the Rome Statute, withdrawal from the ICC takes effect one year after the official notification to the UN. Until then, Hungary is obliged to fulfill its obligations, including cooperation with the court.
States parties and non-parties to the ICC
As of April 2025, 125 states are parties to the Rome Statute, including all countries of the European Union, except for Hungary after its decision to withdraw. Among the participants are Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Ukraine, and most countries in Latin America and Africa.
Some major powers are not members of the ICC.
The United States: signed the Rome Statute in 2000 but has not ratified it.
China: has neither signed nor ratified the Statute.
Russia: signed the Statute in 2000, but withdrew its signature in 2016.
India: has neither signed nor ratified the statute.
Israel: signed but did not ratify the charter and withdrew its signature in 2002.
Before Hungary, only two countries have officially withdrawn from the ICC.
Burundi: in 2017.
Philippines: in 2019.
Hungary’s decision may cause tensions with other EU countries that remain committed to the principles of international justice.
Experts Club Information and Analysis Center has analyzed the inflation rate in Hungary and its trends in Hungary in recent years. Inflation in Hungary in 2025 continues to decline after record highs in 2022-2023. As of March 2025, annual inflation stood at 4.7%, down from 5.6% in February.
The main drivers of inflation
The decline in inflation is due to stabilizing food and energy prices. However, rising rental prices and services continue to put pressure on the overall price level
Government and central bank measures
The central bank of Hungary maintains the key interest rate at 6.5% to contain inflationary pressures. The government is taking steps to control prices in key sectors of the economy.
Outlook
Experts expect inflation to continue to decline to around 3.5% in 2026, approaching the central bank’s targets
Year Inflation (%)
2000 9,79
2001 9,15
2002 5,26
2003 4,66
2004 6,75
2005 3,56
2006 3,90
2007 7,95
2008 6,06
2009 4,20
2010 4,87
2011 3,93
2012 5,66
2013 1,71
2014 – 0,23
2015 -0,07
2016 0,40
2017 2,35
2018 2,84
2019 3,37
2020 3,33
2021 5,11
2022 14,61
2023 17,13
2024 3,8
2025 4.7 (March)
An outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease has been reported in Hungary, which has led to emergency measures in a number of countries. The authorities of the UK, Russia and Ukraine have already announced restrictions on imports of animals and animal products from Hungary to prevent the spread of the dangerous virus.
Today, Ukraine has imposed a ban on the import of animals susceptible to the foot-and-mouth disease virus, as well as raw materials and animal products from such animals. The State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection (SSUFSCP) explained that the measures were taken to avoid the introduction of the virus into the country. According to the agency, the source of infection can be not only infected animals, but also those in the incubation period. In addition, the virus is transmitted through products obtained from infected animals.
The competent authorities in each country continue to monitor the epizootic situation and are ready to introduce additional measures if necessary.
Foot-and-mouth disease is a highly contagious viral disease that affects farm animals such as cattle, pigs, sheep and goats. It is characterized by the appearance of ulcers and blisters in the mouth, hooves and udders of animals, accompanied by fever and a sharp decline in productivity.
The disease is spread by airborne droplets, through feed, water, clothing and equipment, and can also be transmitted through animal products. Although foot-and-mouth disease is rarely transmitted to humans, it causes significant damage to agriculture, leading to massive livestock losses, strict quarantine measures, and serious economic losses. Due to the high contagiousness of the disease, international veterinary services closely monitor outbreaks and take strict measures to prevent its spread.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto and Serbian Energy Minister Dubravka Jedovic-Handanovic agreed on Wednesday to intensify investment policy in the energy security sector and speed up the construction of the first oil pipeline between the two countries, the Hungarian foreign minister said.
“We have agreed to expand joint investments in energy and energy security, including the construction of the first interconnecting oil pipeline,” Szijjarto wrote on Facebook (Meta Platforms Inc.).
In addition, Sijarto and Jedovic-Handanovic agreed to step up funding for “a new power line connecting the networks of the two countries.”
“For our country, Serbia is a strategic partner, without Serbia there will be no energy security for Hungary, and vice versa,” the Hungarian Foreign Minister added.
As reported, the construction of the oil pipeline between Hungary and Serbia is expected to be completed by 2026. The new branch will be connected to the Druzhba pipeline and will allow Serbia to diversify its oil supplies and not depend on Croatia.
