The Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orban, announced the government’s readiness to lift the blockade on providing Ukraine with a European Union loan of 90 billion euros. According to Orban, this decision became possible after Ukraine agreed to resume oil transit through the “Druzhba” pipeline starting Monday.
This is reported by Finway
“Hungary’s position has not changed: no oil — no money”.
He clarified that Budapest will no longer obstruct the approval of financial aid to Ukraine if the supply of oil products is restored. Orban emphasized that Ukraine conveyed the information about its readiness to resume supplies through official EU channels.
Prerequisites for Unblocking Financial Aid
In February, Hungary’s Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto stated that the cessation of Russian oil supplies through the “Druzhba” pipeline was a political decision by the Ukrainian side. He accused Kyiv of attempting to influence the elections in Hungary. At the same time, Ukrainian authorities explained that the supply had stopped due to the consequences of Russian Federation strikes on energy infrastructure.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky noted at the time that the issue of resuming Russian oil transit depended on the actions of the Kremlin and advised Orban to reach out to Putin rather than Kyiv.
EU Seeks Alternatives for Financial Support to Ukraine
Despite Hungary’s prolonged veto, the European Union was looking for ways to provide financial support to Ukraine. The option of using frozen Russian assets as a source of funding for aid was considered. At the same time, the leader of the Hungarian opposition party “Tisa”, Peter Magyar, emphasized that to fully resolve the issue, it is necessary not only to restore the operation of the “Druzhba” pipeline but also to ensure a real influx of oil.