Despite an EU agreement and a European Parliament decision, Hungary has blocked a billion-euro loan for Ukraine. "While Ukraine blocks the Druzhba oil pipeline, Hungary will block the €90 billion military loan," Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Facebook.
Szijjártó accuses Ukraine of blackmail
According to Ukrainian authorities, the Druzhba pipeline was shut down as a result of a Russian attack in late January. Hungary and Slovakia accuse Ukraine of deliberately obstructing the resumption of supplies from Russia. Oil supplies for both countries depend largely on the pipeline.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, who reported on the blocking of the loan for Ukraine on the social network X, accused Ukraine of blackmail. The country is cooperating with the Hungarian opposition and Brussels to raise fuel prices before the elections, he claims.
Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic are not participating in the financing
In fact, an agreement has already been reached in the EU to provide Ukraine with up to 90 billion euros over a period of two years. However, the final vote in the Council of Member States has been postponed. A spokesman for the European Commission pointed to the unanimous decision taken at the EU summit. The Commission expects all Member States to respect this agreement.
Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic are not participating in the financing of the loan, and these three countries must approve a change to the European budget law to allow the money to be borrowed on international markets.