European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU will find a way to deliver a €90 billion loan to Ukraine despite Hungary’s continued opposition.
The European Union will find a way to deliver a €90 billion ($104 billion) loan to Ukraine despite Hungary’s opposition, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday, March 19.
“We will deliver one way or the other,” von der Leyen told reporters after an EU summit in Brussels, according to Reuters.
EU leaders failed to persuade Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to lift his veto on the proposed financial package for Ukraine.
Growing tensions within EU
European Council President Antonio Costa said Hungary’s resistance was “unacceptable,” adding that the bloc must uphold its commitments. Diplomats say the move has “crossed a red line,” with frustration rising fast in Brussels. Some countries are now considering tough steps, including cutting EU funds or even suspending Hungary’s voting rights.
“A deal is a deal, we need to honor our word. And no one can blackmail the European Council,” Costa said.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said EU leaders had tasked the European Commission with finding alternative ways to disburse the funds.
He described Hungary’s veto as an unprecedented “act of serious disloyalty.”
“This will leave its mark,” Merz said, adding that the move undermines trust among EU member states and damages the bloc’s standing.
*Kyiv post*
