As noted by the publication, Orban is preparing to deliver a "major political gift" to Trump. He has devised a way to assist the American politician in the event of a victory in the elections to "escape the $50 billion loan" that the G7 countries and the European Union plan to provide to Ukraine, which will consequently be tied to servicing it "for years."
The U.S. insists that the EU extend the sanctions against Russia for 36 months instead of six. This will help partners safeguard against the possibility that one of the EU countries might unfreeze Russian assets that could help pay off the loan.
EU leaders agree to extend the sanctions for three years, but Orban is against it (Hungary’s finance ministry stated that they would postpone the issue until after the U.S. presidential elections), and without his consent, the EU cannot change the rules.
An unnamed European diplomat noted that Europe is likely to remain in the project, but if Hungary blocks the decision, the U.S. will withdraw, meaning that "the EU, including Hungary, will have to allocate a larger sum." Another diplomat stated that "[Hungary] is indifferent to whether Europe has to pay more; it's about helping Trump."
It was expected that a decision on the $50 billion loan would be made at the G7 finance ministers' meeting in Washington at the end of October. Earlier, Reuters reported that the shares of the U.S. and the EU in the loan were to be $20 billion each, with an additional $10 billion promised by Canada, the UK, and Japan. Now, under the blockade from Hungary, according to Politico, the U.S. is considering reducing this amount to $5 billion (which roughly corresponds to the value of Russian assets frozen in the country). Moreover, as the publication pointed out, and more importantly, Japan has indicated a possible exit from the project if the U.S. does not participate (media reported that its share is to be $3.3 billion).
Currently, according to the publication, the EU is "rapidly preparing" a bill to allocate up to €35 billion to Ukraine, which should cover the U.S. share of the loan (the document is set to be finalized by the end of October), but continues to apply pressure on Orban. An unnamed European diplomat stated that he "is not backing down yet; it's just a game of chicken."