Hungary drops veto, clearing path for $106 billion EU loan to Ukraine
Source: msn/CBS News
12h
The European Union issued preliminary approval on a $106 billion loan for Ukraine Wednesday, after Hungary lifted its months-long veto on the funds.
Most of the funding will go toward Ukraine's defense sector, which officials in Kyiv say is central to Europe's long-term security. The move may also signal a more constructive relationship with the bloc following the ouster of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán earlier this month.
The loan, originally introduced in December, had been held up by a dispute between Hungary and Ukraine over an oil pipeline that runs through Ukrainian territory. Orbán vetoed the funds in February, accusing Ukraine of shutting down the Druzhba Pipeline, which delivers Russian oil through Ukraine to Hungary and Slovakia.
But on April 12, Orbán lost Hungary's parliamentary elections to center-right challenger Peter Magyar, who took a more supportive stance toward Ukraine during the campaign. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that the Druzhba Pipeline is now repaired and that Russian oil flows to Hungary and Slovakia have resumed.
Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/hungary-drops-veto-clearing-path-for-106-billion-eu-loan-to-ukraine/ar-AA21v95S
littlemissmartypants
(34,081 posts)BobsYourUncle
(218 posts)Every little thing helps. Gloom go away.
70sEraVet
(5,546 posts)It's hard for an international organization to be unified, when one of the countries is being led by a corrupt authoritarian fascist.
wolfie001
(7,836 posts)2 war criminals. On 2 fronts none the less.
Baitball Blogger
(52,531 posts)If they could, the game of Risk should be updated to include these political master moves. Just saying. Who foresaw that bringing America down to its knees was the only way to save democracy in the world. Who knew?
nwduke
(515 posts)and the rest of his clown show! VOTE BLUE IN NOVEMBER!
muriel_volestrangler
(106,399 posts)After weeks of delay, the EU signed off on the loan on Thursday, in time for summit talks in Cyprus that are scheduled to begin in the evening and will include talks over a dinner with the Ukrainian leader, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
...
Hungary lifted its vetoes over the long-delayed loan and sanctions after a dispute over a damaged oil pipeline that traverses Ukraine came to an end. Russian oil deliveries to Hungary and Slovakia resumed on Thursday, the Hungarian energy group MOL reported, after both countries heavily dependent on Russian crude dropped their objections to EU support for Ukraine.
...
Zelenskyy will join the other leaders in the Cypriot resort of Ayia Napa for talks over dinner. It matters that Ukraine is securing this level of financial certainty, he wrote on social media highlighting spending priorities that included arms production, the procurement of necessary weapons from partners that do not yet produce in Ukraine, and preparing the energy sector for next winter a response to Russias devastating attacks on Ukraines energy infrastructure in recent months.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/23/eu-approves-ukraine-loan-sanctions-russia
Notice that this involves buying Russian oil still - this is not all good news.