“NO OIL, NO MONEY”: Orbán blocks 90 billion euro aid loan for Ukraine!

European Union leaders accused Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of disloyalty and blackmail after he blocked a 90 billion euro (£77 billion) loan for Ukraine.

“No oil = no money,” Orbán said in a post on X following the summit in Brussels on Thursday, during which he refused to lift his veto, citing a dispute over a damaged oil pipeline that transports Russian oil to Hungary.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Orbán’s actions represent a “blatant act of disloyalty,” while European Council President Antonio Costa described it as something tantamount to “blackmail.”

Orbán — who has maintained close ties with Russia since it launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 — has made a hostile stance toward Ukraine a key issue ahead of the April 12 election.

Hungary depends on Russian energy, and Orbán accused Ukraine of disrupting these supplies by failing to repair the Soviet-era oil pipeline called “Druzhba,” which carries Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia via Ukraine.

Kyiv says the pipeline was damaged in January by Russian air strikes, that repairs will take weeks — but also that restoring the oil flow would effectively mean lifting sanctions on Moscow.

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While the pipeline is out of service, Orbán has blocked the disbursement of EU funds to Ukraine — despite having previously approved the decision.

The EU leaders’ meeting on Thursday, which lasted late into the night, ended with many expressing muted anger over Orbán’s actions.

“Colleagues who have been members of the European Council much longer than I have were deeply angry about what happened today,” German Chancellor Merz told reporters during a press conference in the early hours of Friday.

“It is a blatant act of disloyalty within the European Union,” he said. “I firmly believe this will have profound consequences.”

French President Emmanuel Macron called the outcome of the meeting “unprecedented,” adding that the loan disbursement must be “carried out without delay.”

The President of the Council and chief negotiator Costa joined the criticism, describing Hungary’s actions as “completely unacceptable.”

“No one can blackmail European institutions,” he said.

Orbán, however, remained firm in his position after the meeting.

“It was a tough discussion, but we stood our ground,” he wrote on X. “We have the right to say ‘no’ to a loan for the Ukrainian war. Until @ZelenskyyUa lifts the oil blockade, there will be no money from Brussels.”

In addition to Orbán, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico — another ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin — also refused to support the summit conclusions confirming the intention to release funds to Ukraine. Unanimity is required to unlock the funds, and the conclusions state that the matter will be discussed at the next leaders’ meeting.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pledged that the loan would be delivered “one way or another,” while Macron said there would be “no plan B” for the funds, because “plan A must be implemented.”
Ahead of the meeting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appealed for the release of the funds.

“For the third month, the most important financial security guarantee for Ukraine from Europe has not been functioning — the 90 billion euro support package for this and next year,” he told EU leaders during the summit.

“This is crucial for us. It is a resource for protecting lives,” he said.

Orbán has repeatedly delayed EU aid to Ukraine, as well as successive rounds of sanctions against Russia.