EU approves €90 billion Ukraine loan after Hungary lifts veto

The European Union on Thursday approved a €90 billion loan for Ukraine , clearing the way for the European Commission to begin disbursing long-delayed financial support to Kyiv. The decision followed Hungary’s move to withdraw its veto, ending a two-month standoff that had held up the package.

Officials said the EU’s internal approval process advanced quickly once Budapest shifted its position. EU ambassadors began the procedure on Wednesday, and it was completed on Thursday without objections. The final step involved the last remaining regulation, which required unanimous agreement because it amended the EU budget; that measure was subsequently approved.

With the legal and procedural hurdles removed, the European Commission is now able to release the funds to Ukraine. The first payment is expected “as soon as possible,” according to the timeline described in the source material, though no specific date or amount for the initial tranche was provided.

The source material links Hungary’s earlier veto in February to an interruption of oil flows through the Druzhba pipeline, which supplies Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the pipeline had been repaired and operations had resumed two days before Hungary lifted its veto, a sequence that coincided with the breakthrough in the EU’s financing decision.

The earlier blockage drew sharp criticism from other EU leaders. They described Hungary’s stance as an attempt at blackmail, reflecting the political strain inside the bloc over how to sustain support for Ukraine while managing member-state concerns tied to energy supply and budget decisions.