Budapest has received information from the EU that Ukraine is ready to resume oil supplies from Russia via the Druzhba pipeline on April 20, provided that Hungary lifts its veto on the 90 billion euro loan.
This was stated by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and confirmed that Ukraine must first start transiting crude oil and only then will the ban on granting loans be lifted.
„We have received a message from Ukraine via Brussels that they are ready to resume oil supplies via the Druzhba pipeline as early as Monday, provided that Hungary unblocks the 90 billion euro EU loan. Hungary's position has not changed: if there is no oil, there will be no money. Once oil supplies are restored, we will no longer block the approval of the loan. Repaying the loan does not impose a financial burden or obligation on Hungary“, Orbán wrote in X.
At the EU summit in December 2025, Orbán did not oppose plans to provide a 90 billion euro loan to Ukraine, but warned that Hungary would not participate in this initiative. The Czech Republic and Slovakia took a similar position. Later, however, when Kiev blocked Russian oil supplies via the “Družba“ pipeline, Budapest hit back by refusing to approve the final procedures for the EU loan. The prime minister stated that Ukraine would not receive the funds until it unblocked the “Družba“ pipeline.
On April 12, Orbán and his Fidesz-Hungarian Civic Union party lost the parliamentary elections in Hungary and is expected to move into opposition. In early May, he will be replaced as head of government by Péter Magyar, leader of the Tisza party. At his first press conference after winning the elections, he said he saw no reason to change the decision on the loan for Ukraine, taken at the EU summit in December 2025.