European Council president urges Orbán to unblock €90bn EU loan for Ukraine despite Druzhba dispute

European Council President António Costa has written a letter to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to tell him that while Kyiv's account of the suspension of Russian oil supplies to Hungary differs from Budapest's, this should not serve as grounds for blocking the EU's €90 billion loan to Ukraine.

Source: Costa's letter dated 23 February addressed to Orbán, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Costa urged Orbán to stop blocking the €90 billion loan for Ukraine.

Quote: "As we discussed yesterday, Ukraine has presented a different version of the facts concerning the supply of crude oil to Hungary through Ukraine. Tomorrow, I will raise this matter directly with President Zelenskyy."

Details: Costa stressed that "in any case, a decision taken by the European Council must be respected", and therefore Orbán should honour the commitment he made at the December European Council meeting to support the EU loan for Ukraine.

Quote: "When leaders reach a consensus, they are bound by their decision. Any breach of this commitment constitutes a violation of the principle of sincere cooperation. No member state can be allowed to undermine the credibility of decisions taken collectively by the European Council."

Details: Costa underlined that he remains "fully committed to the safeguard of the energy security of all Member States".

"At the same time, I strongly urge you to act in conformity with our common decision of 18 December and to unblock the implementation of the €90 billion Ukraine Support Loan," he told Orbán.

Background:

• On 23 February, Orbán sent a letter to Costa, pledging to block the €90 billion loan to Ukraine until Kyiv restores Russian oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline and describing Ukraine's actions as an unprovoked act of hostility.
• The same day, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó claimed that the Druzhba pipeline has not been damaged by a Russian missile, but that Ukraine itself has made a political decision to stop oil supplies to Hungary in order to support the Hungarian opposition in the upcoming elections.
• Szijjártó confirmed that Hungary will continue to block both the EU's 20th Russia sanctions package and the €90 billion loan for Ukraine.
• However, European Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis told European Pravda that the EU will not stop its preparations to provide Ukraine with the €90 billion despite Hungary's veto.

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