Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has refused to lift his opposition to a €90 billion ($104 billion) European Union loan to help Ukraine keep up its fight against Russia’s invasion, following a meeting of EU leaders in Brussels on Thursday (19 March).
Several politicians expressed deep frustration with Orbán, who has cited a dispute over a damaged oil pipeline to justify blocking the implementation of the loan, which was agreed to in principle in late 2025.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz accused Orbán, who maintains cordial ties with Russia and is running for re-election next month, of an act of "gross disloyalty" that damaged the EU's reputation.
EU officials say that Kyiv could run short of money in weeks if it does not receive the money.
Ukraine's government spends the bulk of its revenues on defence and relies on foreign aid to pay pensions, public sector wages, and other social spending.
The country faces a ballooning budget deficit, and without the loan the government will have to start cutting expenditure and resort to printing money, political analysts have said.
Orbán, a regular critic of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has said he will not lift Hungary’s veto over the loan until oil resumes flowing to Hungary through the Druzhba pipeline.
The pipeline, which transports Russian oil through Ukraine to Hungary, was damaged by a Russian attack in January, according to Ukrainian and EU officials.
Ukraine says oil flows to Hungary won’t resume for another six weeks while the pipeline is repaired. But Hungary says it’s already functional and accuses Ukraine of withholding the supply of oil.
Speaking to reporters at the summit, Orbán said the fight for oil was existential for Hungary.
“Without getting that oil, all the households and Hungarian companies will go to bankruptcy. It’s not a joke. It’s not a political game,” he said.
Some leaders have expressed hope that Hungary will change its position after April’s parliamentary election or once the pipeline is repaired.
Meanwhile, German Chancellor Merz says EU leaders have asked the European Commission, the bloc's executive, to explore potential loopholes that allow sidestepping Orbán while implementing the loan.
Hungary, along with the Czech Republic and Slovakia, secured an opt-out from paying for the costs of the €90 billion loan at an EU Summit in December 2025, where the financial aid was agreed to in principle.
The Kremlin on Monday rejected a 60-day ceasefire idea proposed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to...
One person was killed and nearly a dozen hurt in a fresh attack on Riyadh's international airport on Sunday, S...
Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 12 October 2026 with the top five natural disasters happening around the world. ...
The explosion at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday afternoon killed at least 12 people and injured a further 309, according to Saudi Arabia’s Civil Aviation Authority. The airport remains closed until further notice.
One person was killed and nearly a dozen hurt in a fresh attack on Riyadh's international airport on Sunday, Saudi authorities reported, a day after a strike claimed by Yemen's Houthis killed 13 people and wounded more than 300.
Yemen's Houthis renewed warning to airlines, airport workers, and travellers against using Saudi airports, saying the warning should be taken seriously and that the kingdom “bore responsibility for failed interceptions”, a day after an attack on Riyadh's international airport that killed 12 people.
The Houthi movement has escalated their attacks on Saudi Arabia, targeting the airport in Riyadh and other cities, killing more than a dozen people.
Ukraine is ready to stop attacks on Russian oil refineries if Moscow also halts strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday.
The Kremlin on Monday rejected a 60-day ceasefire idea proposed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to allow his country to hold presidential elections, saying it wanted an overall peace deal instead.
Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 12 October 2026 with the top five natural disasters happening around the world.
The Houthi movement has escalated their attacks on Saudi Arabia, targeting the airport in Riyadh and other cities, killing more than a dozen people.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday that Ukraine is ready to respect the energy ceasefire announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, but only if Russia does the same, saying Moscow has already violated the agreement.
China has announced sanctions against Belize’s foreign minister and Paraguay’s communications minister over their countries’ diplomatic ties with Taiwan. The move comes as Beijing continues to pressure the few remaining nations that maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taipei.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment