António Costa, President of the European Council, has condemned Hungary’s decision to block a €90 billion loan to Ukraine, linking the blockage to demands for the resumption of oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline. He emphasized that Russia has attacked the pipeline 23 times, a situation for which Ukraine bears no responsibility.
During a press conference following the EU leaders’ summit in Brussels on March 20, Costa reiterated that the ongoing conflict has severely impacted Ukraine’s infrastructure. He stated that the Ukrainian government would have to undertake repairs on the Druzhba pipeline, and there is no assurance that further Russian attacks will not occur.
“Ukraine will once again repair this pipeline. And, of course, this is not Ukraine’s responsibility. It is not the responsibility of the European Union, the European Commission, the European Council, or any member state. Therefore, Hungary’s actions are absolutely unacceptable. Such behavior cannot be accepted by the leaders of the EU,” Costa remarked.
He further stressed that the decision to grant the multi-billion euro loan, approved in December 2025, must be honored. Costa stated, “No one can blackmail the European Council. No one can blackmail the institutions of the European Union, and we must fulfill this obligation. We commend Ukraine’s efforts and commitment to restore the Druzhba pipeline, which has been damaged by Russia. We also welcome President Zelensky’s public commitment to repair the pipeline within the next six weeks,” he added.
The EU leaders’ summit took place on March 19. Prior to the meeting, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced that Budapest would not support any EU decisions favoring Ukraine until the country resumes oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline, which includes the unblocking of the €90 billion loan.
On March 17, President Zelensky confirmed in a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Costa that Ukraine had agreed to the EU’s proposal for financial and technical assistance to repair the damaged Druzhba pipeline.
On March 18, a European official indicated that a technical team from the EU was already in Ukraine, awaiting access to the pipeline.
That same day, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Georgiy Tikhiy stated that the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) is responsible for access to strategic facilities, including the damaged section of the Druzhba pipeline.
On December 19, 2025, EU leaders approved the €90 billion loan for Ukraine for the years 2026-2027. This loan will be backed by the EU’s budget reserve, rather than frozen Russian assets.
On January 14, 2026, the European Commission adopted a legislative package to facilitate this loan, aimed at covering Ukraine’s financial and military needs over the next two years.
On January 21, the European Parliament supported the proposal for the EU Council’s decision to activate expanded cooperation for establishing the Loan for Ukraine program, amounting to €90 billion for 2026-2027.
On February 11, Members of the European Parliament voted in favor of three legislative acts that would enable Ukraine to access the €90 billion loan in 2026 and 2027.
On February 20, it was reported that Hungary had blocked the EU’s allocation of the €90 billion loan to Ukraine due to the lack of oil transit from Russia through the Druzhba pipeline.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry stated that Kyiv had informed Budapest about the Russian attacks on the Druzhba pipeline in Brody, Lviv region, and the resulting damage as early as January 27, asserting that accusations of delays in supplies from Ukraine are illogical.
Despite this, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó claimed during an EU Council meeting on February 23 that Russia had not attacked the Druzhba pipeline infrastructure, alleging that Ukraine had ceased transit due to an “internal political decision.” The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry accused the Hungarian minister of making statements and taking actions that favor Russia.
On February 23, European Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis informed that the EU is not discussing alternative options regarding the €90 billion loan to Ukraine, which remains blocked by Hungary.
António Costa, President of the European Council, criticized Hungary for blocking a €90 billion loan to Ukraine, linking the decision to demands for oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline. He emphasized that Ukraine should not be held accountable for the damage caused by Russian attacks on the pipeline and called for the loan agreement to be honored.