Hungary won’t block €90bn

Hungary’s next government says it will not block a €90 billion European Union loan for Ukraine, removing the main obstacle that had stalled the package. (bloomberg.com) Incoming Prime Minister Péter Magyar said on April 13 that the decision on the loan “was already made in December” and that his government wanted to stay consistent with that commitment, while keeping Hungary out of financing the package itself. (politico.eu) Berlin said after Hungary’s April 12 election that it hoped the money could be released “very quickly.” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on April 14 the €90 billion for Kyiv should now be disbursed rapidly. (reuters.com, bloomberg.com) The package matters because Ukraine needs outside financing to cover wartime spending in 2026 and 2027, and Hungary under Viktor Orbán had held up final approval inside the European Union. Reuters reported on April 13 that Kyiv viewed Orbán’s defeat as clearing the way for money it urgently needs for the war with Russia. (reuters.com) Magyar is not offering Ukraine a blank check. On the same day he said he would not stand in the way of the loan, he also said he did not support fast-track European Union membership for Ukraine. (reuters.com) That puts him closer to a pragmatic reset with Brussels than to a full reversal of Hungarian policy on every Ukraine issue. Euractiv reported on April 13 that Magyar is expected to stop blocking European Union military support, but not necessarily endorse it, while Euronews said he backed Hungary’s opt-out from the loan on budget grounds. (euractiv.com, euronews.com) Orbán had turned Hungary into Ukraine’s toughest internal opponent in the bloc, repeatedly clashing with other capitals over sanctions, aid and Kyiv’s path toward the European Union. Reuters said on April 13 that his loss removed Ukraine’s “staunchest foe” inside the bloc. (reuters.com) The next step is procedural rather than dramatic: European Union governments now have to move the loan from political agreement to release. Bloomberg reported that Cyprus, which holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, planned to raise the issue with ambassadors as soon as possible. (bloomberg.com) For Kyiv, the immediate change is narrower than the headlines suggest. Hungary is signaling that it will stop vetoing the €90 billion package, not that it will start championing faster Ukrainian membership in the European Union. (reuters.com, politico.eu)