EU leaders explicitly condemn Viktor Orbán for blocking vital €90B loan to Ukraine
European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels, Belgium, March 20, 2026 (Photo: REUTERS/Yves Herman)
He recalled that the decision to finance Ukraine was adopted by a consensus of the European Council on Dec. 18.
"Now we need to execute this, and, as [European Commission] President [Ursula von der Leyen] said, one way or another we will execute it," Costa said.
"Today, of course, we did not discuss what we already discussed in December, but leaders took the floor to explicitly condemn Viktor Orbán's attitude, so that he remembers that an agreement is an agreement, and all leaders must keep their word."
He added that "no one can blackmail the European Council" and the institutions of the European Union.
According to Costa, EU leaders welcomed Ukraine's readiness to repair the Druzhba oil pipeline, over which Orbán is blocking the funding. Russia has attacked the pipeline's infrastructure 23 times, and the suspension of its operations is not Ukraine's responsibility, he emphasized.
"Of course, this is not Ukraine's responsibility, it is not the European Union's responsibility, it is not the responsibility of the Commission, the European Council, or any member state," he added.
"And therefore, what Hungary is doing is absolutely unacceptable, and this behavior cannot be accepted by the leaders. And that is exactly why the leaders at the Council today spoke clearly, explicitly condemning Hungary's behavior on this issue."
Orbán reiterated on March 19 that he will not support any decision in favor of Ukraine until oil supplies through the Druzhba pipeline are restored. This concerns, in particular, the €90 billion loan for Ukraine, a decision agreed upon at the EU Council on Feb. 24. Hungary is blocking the final adoption of documents related to the allocation of funds.
EU leaders failed to convince Orbán to drop his blockade of the loan during the first day of the summit on March 19, with an hour-and-a-half discussion yielding no results, Politico wrote.
Druzhba oil pipeline is out of operation due to damage to internal equipment, caused by Russian strike on the Brody oil pumping station, Ukrainian Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal earlier reported.
EU leaders stated on March 17 that Brussels offered Ukraine technical support and funding to repair the Druzhba oil pipeline. Kyiv accepted the offer.
EU experts reportedly arrived in Ukraine on March 19 to assess the condition of the Druzhba oil pipeline and discussed the rebuilding of the Brody station with Naftogaz representatives.
Will you support Ukraine’s free press?
Dear reader, as all news organizations, we must balance the pressures of delivering timely, accurate, and relevant stories with requirements to fund our business operations.
As a Ukrainian-based media, we also have another responsibility – to amplify Ukraine’s voice to the world during the crucial moment of its existence as a political nation.
It’s the support of our readers that lets us continue doing our job. We keep our essential reporting free because we believe in our ultimate purpose: an independent, democratic Ukraine.
If you’re willing to support Ukraine, consider subscribing to our Patreon starting from 5$ per month. We are immensely grateful.
Please help us continue fighting Russian propaganda.
Truth can be hard to tell from fiction these days. Every viewpoint has its audience of backers and supporters, no matter how absurd.
If conscious disinformation is reinforced by state propaganda apparatus and budget, its outcomes may become deadly.
There is no solution to this, other than independent, honest, and accurate reporting.
We remain committed to empowering the Ukrainian voice to push against the muck. If you’re willing to stand up for the truth – consider supporting us on Patreon starting from 5$ per month. Thank you very much.
Will you help tell Ukraine’s story to the world?
Twenty years ago, most people hadn’t even heard of Ukraine. Today, the country is on everyone’s lips and everyone’s headlines. War pushed us on the front page. But there are many other things we do that we are proud of – from music and culture to technology.
We need your help to tell the world Ukrainian story of resilience, joy, and survival. If you’re willing to back our effort, consider supporting us on Patreon starting from 5$ per month. We are immensely grateful.
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News
