Zelenskyy optimistic about €90 billion loan
Photo: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine (Getty Images)
The European Union will find ways to finance Ukraine’s needs, even though the situation around unlocking the €90 billion loan remains uncertain due to Hungary’s veto, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, answering journalists’ questions.
He noted that he had discussed the issue with EU leaders, including European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
"We are feeling more optimistic — they will find ways to partially finance us. We expect to receive the first tranche of the agreed amount for 2026 in April," Zelenskyy said.
The President added that the EU had committed to providing the loan, and Kyiv hopes a solution will be found despite the actions of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
"I believe that in any case, even if temporary alternative steps are needed, the EU must… since all leaders had previously agreed at the end of 2025 on allocating €90 billion, the EU must find a way out of this situation," he concluded.
Hungary blocks Ukraine loan: latest updates
Pro-Russian Hungary continues to block the EU’s €90 billion loan for Ukraine. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said he will not lift his veto until Ukraine restores the transit of Russian oil, which is currently halted due to damage to the pipeline caused by Russian strikes.
On March 19, during the EU leaders’ summit, despite heated debates, they failed to convince Orbán to lift his veto on the loan. This sparked anger and frustration among EU members.
For example, Sweden has openly stated it is ready to consider invoking Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union — a mechanism that could strip Hungary of its voting rights. European Council President António Costa described Orbán’s behavior as "unacceptable."
After the summit, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU would provide Ukraine with the €90 billion loan "one way or the other," despite Hungary’s blockade.
For more details on what happened in Brussels, what the EU is hoping for, and whether there is a Plan B, see the RBC-Ukraine report.
