Ukraine Aid Loan on EU Summit Agenda; Hungary Likely to Withdraw Veto
Hungary may drop its veto on the EU's €90 billion loan for Ukraine if the Friendship oil pipeline is repaired. The loan is now on the agenda for an upcoming EU summit, with potential improvements in Hungary-EU relations following recent political changes.
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- 📰 Published: April 21, 2026 at 08:13
- 🔍 Collected: April 21, 2026 at 08:31 (18 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 21, 2026 at 11:07 (2h 35m after Collected)
Central News Agency (CNA) - (Brussels, 20th) Outgoing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated that if the "Friendship" oil pipeline is repaired and Hungary can secure oil, it will no longer veto the EU's €90 billion loan for Ukraine. The EU estimates that the pipeline can be repaired in time, and has therefore included the loan issue on the agenda for the informal leaders' summit to be held on the 23rd.
The informal EU leaders' summit is scheduled to be held in Cyprus from the 23rd to the 24th. Orbán announced publicly on the 19th that once the "Friendship" (Druzhba) oil pipeline resumes operation, Hungary will abandon its veto on the EU's €90 billion loan proposal for Ukraine.
According to the political news website POLITICO Europe, citing multiple EU officials, the rotating presidency country Cyprus has already placed the loan issue for Ukraine on the meeting's agenda, citing optimism that the oil pipeline will resume operation before the summit.
The Friendship oil pipeline is a crucial conduit for transporting Russian oil to Hungary. It has been suspended since late January due to damage. The Orbán government has accused Ukraine of deliberately delaying the repair of the pipeline and oil supply. The two countries have been disputing this pipeline for a long time, and it has become the primary reason for the EU's Ukraine aid loan being stalled.
If this loan is passed during the current meeting, the European Commission will disburse the funds after several weeks of technical checks, and Ukraine is expected to receive the funds in May, which could provide assistance to Ukraine's domestic economic situation.
With Orbán's defeat in the parliamentary elections and the incoming Prime Minister Peter Magyar expected to take office by early May, relations between Hungary and the EU/Ukraine are clearly improving.
Shortly after Magyar's victory, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy immediately pledged to repair the oil pipeline. A delegation from the European Commission also met with senior members of the incoming government to discuss, among other issues, how to effectively push for the unfreezing and disbursement of EU funds that were originally frozen. These funds were intended for Hungary but were frozen due to concerns about corruption and the rule of law. (Editor: Tang Shengyang) 1150421
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The informal EU leaders' summit is scheduled to be held in Cyprus from the 23rd to the 24th. Orbán announced publicly on the 19th that once the "Friendship" (Druzhba) oil pipeline resumes operation, Hungary will abandon its veto on the EU's €90 billion loan proposal for Ukraine.
According to the political news website POLITICO Europe, citing multiple EU officials, the rotating presidency country Cyprus has already placed the loan issue for Ukraine on the meeting's agenda, citing optimism that the oil pipeline will resume operation before the summit.
The Friendship oil pipeline is a crucial conduit for transporting Russian oil to Hungary. It has been suspended since late January due to damage. The Orbán government has accused Ukraine of deliberately delaying the repair of the pipeline and oil supply. The two countries have been disputing this pipeline for a long time, and it has become the primary reason for the EU's Ukraine aid loan being stalled.
If this loan is passed during the current meeting, the European Commission will disburse the funds after several weeks of technical checks, and Ukraine is expected to receive the funds in May, which could provide assistance to Ukraine's domestic economic situation.
With Orbán's defeat in the parliamentary elections and the incoming Prime Minister Peter Magyar expected to take office by early May, relations between Hungary and the EU/Ukraine are clearly improving.
Shortly after Magyar's victory, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy immediately pledged to repair the oil pipeline. A delegation from the European Commission also met with senior members of the incoming government to discuss, among other issues, how to effectively push for the unfreezing and disbursement of EU funds that were originally frozen. These funds were intended for Hungary but were frozen due to concerns about corruption and the rule of law. (Editor: Tang Shengyang) 1150421
Stand with facts. Your sponsorship is the power to protect the freedom of news.
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Text, images, and audio on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or transmitted and used without authorization.
Keywords: