EU unblocks €90B for Ukraine
- The EU agreed to unblock a roughly €90 billion loan package for Ukraine after Hungary lifted its veto. - The breakthrough came after Ukraine resumed sending Russian oil through the Druzhba pipeline to Hungary and Slovakia. - Leaders called the decision “the right signal,” showing how pipeline transit politics can still sway EU unanimity rules ( )
European Union ambassadors cleared a €90 billion loan for Ukraine on April 22 after Hungary dropped a veto that had held up the money for months. (bbc.com) The package is meant to cover Ukraine’s financing needs in 2026 and 2027, with €45 billion planned for each year. The European Commission proposed the loan in January as part of a wider support package for Kyiv. (enlargement.ec.europa.eu) Reuters reported the €90 billion would cover about two-thirds of Ukraine’s estimated €135 billion needs over the next two years. The same breakdown said €28 billion a year is earmarked for military needs and €17 billion for general budget support. (independent.co.uk) The hold-up centered on the Druzhba pipeline, which carries Russian oil across Ukraine to Hungary and Slovakia. The line went offline in late January after damage from a Russian attack, and Budapest tied its consent on the loan to the oil flow resuming. (kyivindependent.com) Hungary and Slovakia said on April 22 that transit through Druzhba had restarted, with first deliveries expected by April 23. Soon after, Hungary lifted its objection and the loan moved ahead. (yahoo.com) The episode exposed how European Union unanimity rules can still let one government stall major wartime financing. Euronews reported in February that the loan had already been designed to avoid financial obligations for some holdout states, but Budapest still blocked the final release. (euronews.com) European Council leaders had first agreed in December 2025 to provide the €90 billion loan. A European Parliament briefing said the money would be raised through European Union borrowing backed by budget headroom. (epthinktank.eu) The April 22 decision also moved alongside a new round of sanctions on Russia, according to multiple reports on the ambassadors’ meeting. France 24 said member states gave preliminary approval to both measures the same day. (france24.com) The next step is formal sign-off by the 27 member states, after which the first disbursements can begin. For Kyiv, the vote reopens one of its biggest external funding lines just as 2026 budget and military bills keep rising. (reuters.com)
