EU leaders fail to persuade Orbán on Ukraine loan, Politico reports

Four unnamed diplomats and officials told the outlet about the unsuccessful attempts to convince Orbán.

According to them, the loan was discussed for an hour and a half. During the discussions, no clear path toward an agreement on the loan emerged.

One diplomat told Politico that European Council President António Costa sharply criticized Orbán’s behavior, calling the situation unacceptable.

According to the source, Costa added that the Hungarian Prime Minister’s actions violate the principles of cooperation underlying the EU — a "red line" that has never been crossed before.

Hungary pressures Ukraine

The Hungarian government has blocked a €90 billion loan for Ukraine. For the funds to begin flowing to Ukraine, approval from all EU member states is required.

Budapest began blocking the loan after the Druzhba oil pipeline stopped operating following a Russian strike at the end of January.

Hungary claims that Russian oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline was halted at Ukraine’s initiative.

Recently, Ukraine accepted a European Union proposal to repair the pipeline. The work will be carried out with the bloc’s financial and technical support.

Despite this, Hungary continues to block the transfer of funds to Ukraine. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated that his country will not lift its veto until the supply of Russian oil through Ukrainian territory is restored.