Hungary Requests More Than $20 Billion in EU Defense Funds

Hungary has raised its request for European Union defense funds to €17.4 billion ($20.2 billion), money the government says will help upgrade its military and cut the highest financing cost in the bloc.

Hungary is seeking to tap more than the originally earmarked €16.2 billion under the EU’s Security Action for Europe program, known as SAFE, citing “real needs” to modernize its military and Budapest’s “commitment” to EU and NATO membership, the Economy Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.