The ambassadors of EU countries in Brussels today approved the decisions to allocate a 90 billion euro loan to Ukraine and to expand sanctions against Russia, a spokesman for the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU announced. He specified that a written procedure is now pending to complete this process, BTA reports.
The written procedure is expected to end tomorrow afternoon. This will complete the adoption of two decisions blocked in recent months by Hungary due to the suspension of supplies from Russia via the "Druzhba" oil pipeline. Deliveries are expected to resume this week.
The disbursement of the promised 90 billion euro loan to Ukraine could happen within 24 hours if Hungary does not file a written objection, a German government spokesman said, quoted by Reuters.
The European Union approved the disbursement of the 90 billion euro loan to Ukraine after Hungary lifted its veto it had maintained for months, diplomats quoted by DPA and Agence France-Presse reported.
Cyprus, which holds the rotating presidency of the EU Council, announced that it had triggered the procedure that should lead to the agreement of the 27 member states to release the first payments under the loan, which has been blocked by Hungary until now.
In addition, EU member states agreed to adopt the 20th package of sanctions against Russia, which aims to put even greater pressure on Moscow.
Budapest has agreed to launch the loan approval procedure, which will end tomorrow, but has specified that it will completely lift its veto on the condition that Russian oil supplies via the Druzhba pipeline are resumed.
The granting of the new loan to Ukraine has become the subject of disputes between Kiev and Budapest, caused by the suspension of Russian oil supplies to Hungary and Slovakia via the Druzhba pipeline, which runs through Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said yesterday that the pipeline has been repaired and can be put back into operation.
If Russian oil supplies are not resumed by tomorrow, Budapest and Bratislava could theoretically stop the loan approval procedure, DPA notes.