Orbán blocks €90bn Ukraine loan, EU calls it blackmail
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- Orbán blocked the release of a €90bn EU loan for Ukraine at the Brussels summit, citing a dispute over the Druzhba pipeline that transports Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia.
- Orbán posted on X "No oil = no money" and insisted that Ukraine must lift the oil blockade before receiving any EU funds.
- Merz called Orbán's action a "gross act of disloyalty" and warned it would leave deep marks within the EU.
- Costa described the veto as "completely unacceptable" and likened it to blackmail of European institutions.
- Macron called the loan release "unprecedented" and demanded it be implemented without delay, saying there is "no plan B".
- Zelensky told EU leaders the €90bn support package is the most important financial security guarantee for Ukraine and has not been working for three months.
- Fico also refused to endorse the summit conclusions, showing a broader bloc of vetoes that could stall the loan.
Why it matters: Ukraine loses access to a €90 billion financial lifeline, weakening its war‑time resources, while the EU’s unity is tested as member states clash over energy leverage; Orbán’s stance also risks alienating voters ahead of elections and could force Brussels to find a workaround, delaying aid.
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