The spokeswoman recalled that during the December meeting of the European Council, EU leaders reached a unanimous political agreement to provide EUR 90 billion in support for Ukraine's budget and military needs over the next two years. — On this basis, the European Commission adopted a package of legislative proposals on January 14, Pinho said, adding that the EC expects all countries, including Hungary, to respect this political agreement.
What agreement did EU leaders reach on a loan for Ukraine?
What has Hungary blocked in connection with oil transit?
When can the first tranche of the loan to Ukraine be disbursed?
What obligations does Ukraine have towards the EU?
Although Hungary, together with the Czech Republic and Slovakia, will not participate in the loan, Budapest has announced that it will be blocked.
The head of the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Peter Szijjarto, wrote on Friday on website X that Hungary will block the loan until the transit of Russian crude oil to Hungary via the Druzhba pipeline is resumed. It was damaged on January 27 as a result of Russian attacks, which stopped the transit of oil through Ukraine to Hungary and Slovakia.
EU/EC: we expect Hungary to honor the agreement on the loan to Ukraine
The Hungarian authorities accused Ukraine of deliberately suspending the shipment and “blackmailing Hungary by suspending oil transit in agreement with Brussels and the Hungarian opposition in order to cause disruptions in supplies in Hungary and increase fuel prices before the elections.” Szijjarto added that by blocking the transit of oil through the Druzhba pipeline, Ukraine is violating the Association Agreement between the EU and Ukraine, violating its obligations towards the European Union. “We will not succumb to this blackmail,” he wrote.
In February, the European Parliament approved a loan for Ukraine at its plenary session in Strasbourg. Now it still needs to be formally approved by member states within the EU Council. Once all steps are completed, the European Commission will be able to disburse the first tranche at the beginning of the second quarter of this year.
The EU loan for Ukraine will be obtained on the capital markets by the European Commission. Ukraine will repay it when it receives war reparations from Russia. Until then, Russian assets in the EU will remain frozen.
From Brussels Jowita Kiwnik Pargana
