At the two-day European Council summit that concluded today, EU leaders criticized Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in unprecedentedly harsh terms for blocking a €90 billion loan to Ukraine, agreed upon back in December of last year.
European Council President António Costa told reporters, “No one can blackmail European institutions.” He added that almost all leaders during the discussion condemned Hungary’s position, calling it “completely unacceptable.”
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called Orbán’s actions a “gross act of disloyalty” that undermines the EU’s trust and decision-making capacity. He emphasized that all 27 countries must adhere to previously reached agreements and accused the Hungarian prime minister of exploiting the situation for electoral purposes—Hungary holds parliamentary elections in April.
French President Emmanuel Macron described Hungary’s behavior as “unprecedented,” while Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina noted that “there is no need to accommodate those who do not implement what was agreed upon.”
Orbán attributes his veto to a technical dispute over the Druzhba pipeline, through which Russian oil supplies to Hungary and Slovakia were disrupted by military action. He insists that until supplies are fully restored, Budapest will not lift the block on the loan to Ukraine.
Despite hours of negotiations, Orbán could not be persuaded to change his position. Hungary (and Slovakia, which joined it) refused to sign the part of the summit conclusions concerning Ukraine and the expectation of prompt disbursement of funds to Kyiv.
The leaders instructed the European Commission to explore possible avenues for disbursing aid to Ukraine, even if Hungary continues to block the decision. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen assured that Kyiv would receive the promised support “one way or another.”