He has done it again. The Prime Minister of Hungary has exercised his veto power in the European Council, when decisions require unanimity, and has prevented the Twenty-Seven from giving a loan of 90 billion euros to Ukraine, a fund intended to continue its fight against the Russian invasion, old from , and which is vital, because the coffers are depleted: kyiv estimates that it may be in serious trouble at the end of this March.
All efforts have been in vain. The far-right has been offered solutions and has been reminded that he had already approved this operation on more than one occasion, since last December, so to retract it now is to break his word. He has not cared, having elections next month: with the worst polls in 16 years, he prefers to show his most ultra-nationalist profile and keep his bases tight.
Several community leaders expressed their deep frustration with Orban this morning. But he, like someone who hears it rain, because he continues to complain about the damage suffered by an oil pipeline that crosses Ukraine and that supplies him with Russian oil (also to Slovakia) and he holds on to the no that was previously yes.
The German chancellor, , accused Orbán – who maintains cordial relations with Russia, the oldest friend on the old continent – of an act of “serious disloyalty” that damages the EU’s reputation and ability to act. European Council President Antonio Costa, who chaired the summit, declared: “A deal is a deal, and all leaders must keep their word. No one can blackmail the European Council.” Some thick words for a long problem with Budapest, which was already serious for its violations of the rule of law and which was complicated by the “special military operation” on Ukraine by its Kremlin colleague.
The agency reports that EU officials say that kyiv could run out of funds in a matter of weeks if it does not receive new funding, and that Orbán’s change of position has called into question the credibility of the European Council, the EU’s highest decision-making body.
The key to the dispute: Druzhba
The origin of the clash within the Council is the , which transports Russian oil through Ukraine to Hungary and Slovakia. According to Ukrainian and EU officials, the pipeline was damaged by a Russian attack in January.
Ukraine says it will take another six weeks to repair the pipeline. Those of Orban, for their part, assure that the pipeline is already operational and accuses the Government of withholding the supply of oil. On Tuesday, the Council and the Commission presented a solution, negotiated with kyiv, to convince the ultra: they said that Ukraine accepted the offer of technical support and financing from the Union to restore the flow of oil. But not even for those.
Still, last night in Brussels some leaders expressed hope that Hungary would change its stance after next month’s elections or once the pipeline is repaired. But then it may be, again, with Orban, without a pro-European change, precisely because with vetoes like this he demonstrates a power that suits him very well with his coreligionists.
Is it possible without it?
The powerful Merz claimed that EU leaders had asked the European Commission, the bloc’s executive body, to examine whether there were ways to implement the loan without relying on Orbán. It is the long fight over the nature of the votes, the elephant in the room that is known to be there and not addressed, that was pending, a process that never quite comes together because crisis after crisis is encountered.
Orbán declared, for his part, that he had had a “tough debate” at the summit, but that Hungary had remained firm. “As long as Zelensky does not lift the oil blockade, they will not receive money from Brussels,” he published in X. After the summit, the president told the press that Hungary also demanded guarantees that oil supplies would not be interrupted again.
This argument provoked indignation from Costa, who stated that only Russia could guarantee that the pipeline would not be attacked in the future. He is the aggressor, the one who started the war, in case we need to remember. “This is not the responsibility of Ukraine. This is not the responsibility of the European Union,” he declared. “And that’s why what Hungary is doing is completely unacceptable.”
The Slovak Prime Minister, who also leans towards the Kremlin, also criticized Ukraine for disruptions to supply through the pipeline. “Relations between the EU and Ukraine, as well as mutual relations between Slovakia and Ukraine, are not and cannot be a one-way street with no return,” declared the ultranationalist.
“A resource to protect lives”
In a video message to EU leaders and posted on X, Zelensky said the loan was “crucial” for Ukraine. “It is a resource to protect lives,” he declared, visibly disappointed.
Orbán, a nationalist ally of the US president, has frequently clashed with Brussels and traditional EU politicians, but, according to diplomatic sources, he has never before reneged on an agreement reached between EU leaders. Many EU officials are particularly exasperated by Orbán’s veto, as Hungary, along with the Czech Republic and Slovakia, managed to exempt itself from paying loan costs.
With Russia’s war against Ukraine in its fifth year, kyiv faces a growing budget deficit and has declared there are no financing alternatives if the EU loan remains blocked.
The Ukrainian government spends most of its revenue on defense and relies on foreign financial aid to pay pensions, public sector salaries and other social expenses. If the loan is not approved soon, the Executive will have to start cutting expenses and resort to printing money. And today spring is coming, and with the good weather a major Russian offensive is expected, with peace negotiations at a standstill.
