European Union (EU) leaders failed on Monday to persuade Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to abandon his blocking of a key 90 billion euro EU loan for Ukraine, officials said, Reuters reported.
"They tried. They didn't succeed," one European official said of efforts by other EU leaders to persuade Orban at a summit in Brussels.
EU leaders agreed on the loan in December, but Orban, who maintains cordial ties with Russia and clashes with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, blocked its implementation, citing a dispute over a war-damaged oil pipeline, Reuters reported.
Orban's stance has angered other EU leaders, as Kiev could run out of money in a matter of weeks if it does not receive new funds, and his withdrawal has called into question the credibility of the European Council, the EU's highest decision-making body.
"There was intense, huge pressure on Orban to have the (EU summit) decisions respected by everyone," another European official said after the leaders discussed the loan for Ukraine.
A third European official, referring to Orban, said: "The discussion was difficult and harsh, but Viktor is still not giving in." A fourth said: "Everyone is getting angrier with Orban."
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity so they could outline confidential conversations between the leaders.
Reuters published a photo showing Orban watching from a seat outside the main table as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed EU leaders via video link during a roundtable meeting at today's EU summit in Brussels.
"The European Union's 90 billion euro aid package, currently blocked by Hungary, is of crucial importance to Kiev as it faces a 'very difficult' situation as it fights Russia," Zelensky said today.
As reported by Reuters, he added in his address to the European Council that Ukraine is cooperating productively with the EU on the reconstruction of the Druzhba oil pipeline, which was damaged in the Russian attack, and that he has received signals from the United States that peace talks with Russia could soon resume.
Dutch PM says Orban's veto is 'unacceptable'
Upon arriving at the summit this morning, many leaders increased the pressure on Orban.
"We must be clear: Hungary's veto is unacceptable, additional support for Ukraine must be delivered as soon as possible," said Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jeten.
"He is using Ukraine as a weapon in his election campaign, and that is not good," said Finnish Prime Minister Peteri Orpo, referring to the April 12 elections in Hungary and accusing Orban of betraying other EU leaders.
Orban, a nationalist ally of US President Donald Trump, has often been a thorn in the side of leading EU politicians, but has not previously backed down from a deal reached among EU leaders, diplomats said, Reuters reports.
Many EU officials are particularly outraged by Orban's blockade because he secured an exemption from paying loan costs, along with the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
But Orban has indicated that he is in no mood to give in.
"We are waiting for oil, the rest is fairy tales," he said upon arriving at the summit, referring to the damaged Druzba oil pipeline.
The pipeline carried Russian oil through Ukraine to Hungary and Slovakia, but was damaged in a Russian attack in January, officials said. Ukraine says repairs will take some time. Hungary says it is ready to operate, Reuters reported.
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever mentioned the possibility that the EU may have to wait until after the Hungarian elections to implement the loan.
The Hungarian prime minister has been portraying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as an existential threat to Hungary in his election campaign. Orban claims that Zelensky, along with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, wants to drag Hungary into a war with Russia, and that his re-election is the only guarantee of peace and security.
Merc: Orban imposed a blockade in Europe for domestic political reasons and because of the election campaign
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz insisted that all 27 EU members must respect the decision they made together in December, stating that "the guiding principle of the European Union is loyalty and reliability," Beta agency reports.
Before the start of the summit, Merz accused Orban of "establishing this blockade in Europe for domestic political reasons and because of the election campaign" in Hungary.
Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker said that Orban's use of the election as an excuse "is not a valid argument given the situation in Ukraine, the difficult situation of the people in Ukraine and what the EU leaders themselves have decided."
Weaknesses in EU decision-making procedures
Hungary's blocking of a loan to Ukraine points to important weaknesses in EU decision-making procedures, which normally require the unanimous consent of all 27 member states. Hungary has a population of around ten million, a small fraction of the EU's 450 million, Beta reports.
Ukraine and Hungary have been in an escalating conflict since January 27th, when Russian oil supplies to Hungary and Slovakia through the Druzhba pipeline, which runs through Ukraine, were suspended.
While Kiev claims that the supply was interrupted because the pipeline infrastructure was damaged in a Russian drone attack, Orban accuses Zelensky of deliberately not delivering Russian oil in an attempt to provoke an energy crisis in Hungary - namely, his defeat in the April 12 election.
Hungary has not only vetoed a €90 billion loan to Kiev, but is also blocking the adoption of a new package of sanctions against Russia within the EU.
In an effort to break the deadlock, von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa offered this week for the EU to pay for the repair of the pipeline. An EU technical team is in Kiev awaiting security clearance to inspect the damage to the Druzhba pipeline.
Orban, however, promised to continue blocking the loan payment to Ukraine until oil supplies to Hungary through the Druzhba pipeline are restored.
"What we are talking about is not politics, it is an existential issue for Hungary. Getting oil is existential for Hungarians. It is not a joke, it is not a political game. Zelensky should understand that," said Orban, Hungary's prime minister since 2010.
Ahead of the leaders' meeting, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico withdrew support for the planned statement on Ukraine from the EU summit because the text did not mention the issue of oil supplies, which was his request.
The EU statement, supported by 25 of the 27 EU member states, with the opposition of Fico and Orban, states that they "look forward to the first payment to Ukraine by early April." The issue of the Druzhba pipeline, or the dispute with Hungary, is not mentioned.
Zelensky, who addressed EU leaders via video link, strongly opposes the transit of Russian energy products through Ukraine, as Russia uses the proceeds from their sales to finance its war against Ukraine, in which it is constantly targeting energy infrastructure.
There is no other option, says Ukraine
As Russia's war in Ukraine enters its fifth year, Kiev faces a widening budget deficit and has said there are no alternative financing options if a 90 billion euro loan remains blocked, Reuters reports.
The Ukrainian government spends most of its revenue on defense and depends on foreign financial assistance to pay pensions, public sector wages, and other social benefits.
If the loan is not approved soon, the government will have to start cutting spending and resort to printing money, political analysts said.
"This money is not charity; it is an investment in countering Russian aggression and preserving peace in Europe," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiha wrote on the X network.
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