Twenty-five of 27 EU leaders formally backed Ukraine's €90 billion loan and its path to EU membership at a Brussels summit on 19 March, according to the European Council. Hungary and Slovakia, led by their pro-Russian governments, declined to support the conclusions. The loan remains frozen as the EU enters the fifth year of Russia's war against Ukraine.
What 25 leaders endorsed
The European Council's statement welcomed the loan's adoption by EU legislators and expected a first disbursement by early April. On EU membership, it invited the Council to formally open all accession clusters "without delay, starting with the fundamentals cluster." The statement also called on Russia to agree to a "full, unconditional and immediate ceasefire," condemned North Korea's troop deployment in the war, and called for swift adoption of the 20th sanctions package against Russia.
Hungary and Slovakia did not support the Ukraine conclusions.
Orbán's condition, Fico's reason
Earlier, Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán claimed he would support no EU decision favoring Ukraine until Hungary received Russian oil via the Druzhba pipeline. Russia struck the pipeline's facility in Ukraine with drones in January, and Orbán blamed Ukraine for the disruption. Opposing Ukraine is the central narrative of Orbán's campaign ahead of the April elections.
"We are ready to support Ukraine when we get our oil, which is being blocked by them," he told reporters in Brussels. "Until then, there is no decision that is favourable for Ukraine."
Slovak PM Robert Fico claimed the pipeline is undamaged.
Both countries hold EU exemptions on Russian oil. Croatia's Prime Minister Andrej Plenković noted at the summit that both pay roughly 30% below market price for it.
"He betrayed us"
On 18 March — the day before the summit — German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told the Bundestag the EU "must not take into account even one single country... that is now creating this blockade in Europe for domestic political reasons and because of an election campaign that is being conducted there." Hungary votes on 12 April.
Finland's Prime Minister Petteri Orpo told reporters at the summit that Orbán "betrayed" fellow EU leaders.
"He's using Ukraine as a weapon in his election campaigning, and it's not good. We had a deal, and I think that he betrayed us."
Belgium's Prime Minister Bart De Wever called it "unacceptable to decide with the leaders and then, after, say, 'but I'm not ready to execute what I decided.'"
Zelenskyy: "There is no alternative"
Speaking at a press conference with Spain's Prime Minister on 18 March, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said EU countries would find a way through because reversing the December deal was "unfair." He addressed EU leaders via video link at the summit itself.
"There is no alternative to €90 billion. There can be alternative forms of financing, but there is no alternative to strengthening our army," Zelenskyy said.
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Ukraine MFA: "theft" and "torture"
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry briefed journalists on 18 March. Spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi said the €90 billion "cannot be linked" to the pipeline's technical state.
"These are not just charity funds for Ukraine," Tykhyi said. "These are funds needed for European security."
On Hungary's March seizure of Oschadbank cash and gold, Tykhyi said Budapest still hasn't returned the money:
"Hungary stole these funds. Without basis, without law," he added.
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