Hungary Affirms Legal Right to Block €9 Billion Military Loan to Ukraine

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has asserted that his country holds the legal authority to block the €9 billion military loan designated for Ukraine. Orbán clarified that the loan approval will not proceed if Ukraine does not lift the sanctions imposed on oil supplies from Russia via the Druzhba pipeline.

Following the European Union (EU) Council’s decision to allocate the loan by December 2025, Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic had already indicated their refusal to participate. Speaking to journalists after the EU summit held in Brussels, Orbán stated, “However, the situation has now changed; Ukraine has imposed a blockade on oil supplies to Hungary.”

According to Orbán, the loan requires unanimous consent from all EU member states, which remains uncertain due to objections from Hungary and Slovakia. He further added, “Had Ukraine imposed the blockade in December, we would have outright rejected the loan. Now that the blockade is ongoing, I cannot pretend nothing is happening.”