Ukraine's foreign minister to discuss unblocking €90 billion for Ukraine with EU foreign ministers

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybigha is expected to join, likely via video link, a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council on 21 April in Luxembourg to discuss prospects for unblocking a €90 billion loan for 2026-2027.

Source: European Pravda, citing anonymous EU diplomats familiar with the plans for the meeting of foreign ministers

Details: EU foreign ministers will discuss with Sybiha plans to unlock a €90 billion loan that the European Union intends to provide to Ukraine over the next two years.

It is expected that Sybiha will join the ministers' discussion via video link as part of the EU Foreign Affairs Council.

Sources told European Pravda that EU ministers and Sybiha will also talk about the current situation in Ukraine and on the battlefield, as well as the prospects for unlocking the €90 billion loan, taking into account the defeat of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's party in the 12 April elections.

Hungary's next prime minister, Péter Magyar, is expected to take office on 9 May and, according to EU diplomats, may immediately unblock the loan for Ukraine.

For this to happen, Hungary must sign the relevant amendments to the EU's long-term budget for 2021-2027, which can be done even at the ambassadorial level without waiting for a summit of EU ministers or leaders.

Moreover, some sources still hope that the current Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán could lift the veto on the €90 billion package himself if Ukraine repairs the Druzhba oil pipeline and resumes the transit of Russian oil to Hungary (and Slovakia) by 9 May 2026.

EU ministers in Luxembourg will also discuss increasing pressure on Russia, which they believe still shows no willingness to end its war of aggression against Ukraine.

To step up pressure on Moscow, the EU aims to approve its 20th sanctions package against Russia as soon as possible. However, it is currently being blocked not only by Hungary but also by Slovakia, which links its approval to the restoration of the Druzhba pipeline.

As one diplomat told European Pravda, the outcomes of next week's meetings – the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg and an informal summit of EU leaders in Nicosia, Cyprus – will clarify the current positions of Hungary and Slovakia on both the 20th sanctions package and the €90 billion for Ukraine.

European Pravda's sources do not expect any decisions on these issues to be adopted on 21 April.

Background:

• Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha previously expressed hope that the political setback for Viktor Orbán in Hungary could help accelerate Ukraine's European integration, formally open six negotiation clusters, unblock the €90 billion EU loan and strengthen sanctions against Russia.
• It was also reported earlier that Orbán, who is leaving office as Hungary's prime minister, will not take part in the informal meeting of the European Council in Cyprus on 23-24 April.

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