European Union leaders failed to reach agreement on a €90bn loan for Ukraine after Hungary refused to lift its veto during a summit in Brussels, despite pressure from other member states.
Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán said he would not support any decision benefiting Ukraine until oil supplies through the Druzhba pipeline resume, linking the funding to an ongoing dispute over energy deliveries.
The loan, agreed in principle in December, requires unanimous approval. Hungary had previously backed the arrangement but reversed its position earlier this year, prompting criticism from several EU leaders.
Finland’s prime minister Petteri Orpo accused Orbán of breaking a prior agreement. “We had a deal, and he betrayed us,” Orpo said as he arrived at the summit.
The dispute centres on the Druzhba pipeline, which transports Russian oil through Ukraine to Hungary and Slovakia. Supplies have been disrupted since January after damage caused by a Russian air strike, according to Ukrainian authorities. Hungary has blamed Ukraine for delays in restoring flows.
Orbán said his position would not change. “I will never support any kind of decision in favour of Ukraine as long as Hungary does not receive the oil that belongs to us,” he told reporters in Brussels.
EU officials said leaders spent about 90 minutes discussing the issue at the start of the summit.
European Council president António Costa told leaders that Hungary’s actions breached the principle of cooperation within the bloc. Belgium’s prime minister Bart De Wever, who helped negotiate the original deal, said the reversal was unacceptable and undermined trust.
Dutch prime minister Rob Jetten also criticised the veto, saying the funding must be delivered without delay. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said alternative routes exist to bypass Hungary’s opposition but warned such steps would require political will.
The €90bn package aims to support Ukraine’s government spending and military needs as the war with Russia enters its fifth year. Ukrainian officials have warned that without new funding, the state could face budget shortages within weeks. Foreign minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on X that the support “is not charity” but an investment in European security.
The European Commission has offered financial and technical assistance to repair the pipeline, while Croatia has said it can supply oil to Hungary and Slovakia through an alternative route. Croatian prime minister Andrej Plenković said the country has capacity to meet demand, though at market prices higher than pipeline oil.
Despite these proposals, Orbán maintained his position during both public remarks and closed-door discussions.
HT