"Discussion was tough and rough, but Viktor is still not budging, one European official told Reuters. Another official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss confidential discussions between leaders, said that everyone is increasingly angry with Orban."
"With Russia's war in Ukraine in its fifth year, Kyiv is grappling with a ballooning budget deficit and has said there are no alternative financing options if the loan remains blocked. The European Council agreed to the loan in December, but Hungary's leader has blocked its implementation, citing a dispute over a war-damaged Druzhba pipeline."
"The Hungarian position is very simple. We are ready to support Ukraine when we get our oil, which is blocked by them. Ukraine's president addressed the summit by videolink to plead for the funds' release."
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban continues to obstruct a vital 90-billion-euro EU loan approved for Ukraine in December, citing disputes over the Druzhba pipeline damaged by Russian attacks. The pipeline, which transported Russian oil through Ukraine to Hungary and Slovakia, remains non-operational. Ukraine claims repairs require time, while Hungary insists the pipeline is ready and accuses Kyiv of deliberately blocking supplies. At Brussels summit talks, other EU leaders failed to convince Orban to lift his blockade. Ukraine faces mounting budget deficits with no alternative financing options available. EU officials expressed frustration with Orban's resistance, while some leaders suggested he was leveraging the situation for domestic political purposes ahead of Hungarian elections scheduled for April 12.
#eu-funding-blockade #ukraine-war-financing #viktor-orban #druzhba-pipeline-dispute #european-politics
Read at www.aljazeera.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]