EU leaders hope for first €90B Ukraine loan disbursal in April
The European Union has expressed hope for a €90 billion loan for Ukraine (Photo: Ursula von der Leyen / Twitter)
EU leaders expressed hope that the first tranche of a €90 billion ($103 billion) loan to Ukraine can be disbursed in early April, according to a statement issued by 25 European Council members in Brussels on March 19.
"Following its December 2025 decision to provide Ukraine with a support loan of €90 billion for 2026 and 2027, the European Council welcomes the adoption of the loan by the co-legislators and looks forward to the first disbursement to Ukraine by the beginning of April," the statement said.
Hungary and Slovakia did not endorse the statement.
On Feb. 24, the EU Council adopted two documents enabling the €90 billion loan. However, Hungary continues to block the third measure, which requires changes to the EU’s long-term budget.
Budapest’s main condition is restoration of Russian oil transit via the Druzhba pipeline, damaged by a Russian missile strike on Jan. 27. Hungary claims Ukraine has the technical capacity to resume flows; Kyiv denies this.
On March 12, sources in the Élysée Palace told news agency Ukrinform that Paris will work with Bratislava and Budapest to resolve the Druzhba issue blocking the EU loan to Ukraine, while French President Emmanuel Macron’s office said the matters should not be linked.
On March 13, Macron assured partners that the EU would do everything necessary to fulfill commitments on the €90 billion loan to Ukraine.
On March 16, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó reiterated that Hungary would block the €90 billion loan and the 20th sanctions package against Russia until Ukraine resumes Russian oil transit via Druzhba.
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