EU launches procedure to unblock €90bn Ukraine loan and new Russia sanctions

Published on 22/04/2026 - 13:53 GMT+2

The European Union has formally launched the interior process to unblock the €90 cardinal indebtedness for Ukraine and the 20th bundle of sanctions against Russia, bringing the standoff betwixt Budapest and Kyiv person to an extremity aft months of intrigue.

The alleged written process began connected Wednesday day during a gathering of ambassadors successful Brussels. Member states person up to 24 hours to registry immoderate objection.

Cyprus, the state holding the EU Council's rotating presidency, expects the process to beryllium concluded connected Thursday afternoon, erstwhile a last determination could beryllium announced.

Hungary oregon Slovakia whitethorn inactive forestall the adoption by unanimity if they take to, but diplomats judge that is unlikely.

Instead, EU diplomats consulted by Euronews judge a woody is almost certain pursuing the restoration of the Druzhba lipid pipeline, which is astatine the centre of the veto.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said connected Tuesday that the Soviet-era infrastructure, damaged successful precocious January by Russian drones, was repaired and could resume operations. Flows are expected to restart successful the coming hours.

"The EU asked Ukraine to repair the Druzhba lipid pipeline, which had been destroyed by Russia. We person repaired it. We anticipation the EU volition besides present connected the agreed commitments," Zelenskyy said successful his evening code connected Tuesday.

The €90 cardinal indebtedness has been blocked for months by outgoing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who has accused Kyiv of blocking flows for "political" reasons.

Orbán made his quality with Zelenskyy implicit Druzhba a salient taxable successful his explosive re-election campaign. Still, the seasoned premier curate was resoundingly defeated by absorption person Péter Magyar nether the committedness of restoring the regularisation of law, improving ties with the EU and unblocking EU currency held up by Brussels implicit instrumentality violations.

The Hungarian transition, the archetypal successful 16 years, paved the mode to interruption the deadlock.

Meanwhile, the sanctions bundle is blocked by Hungary and Slovakia, besides implicit Druzhba. Slovakia has said the veto would beryllium removed erstwhile lipid starts flowing again.

The sanctions see a afloat prohibition connected maritime services for Russian lipid tankers, but this measurement has been conditional connected an statement astatine the G7 level aft Malta and Greece, 2 coastal countries, voiced superior concerns.

The G7 woody is improbable to hap immoderate clip soon, fixed the White House's caller determination to widen sanctions alleviation for Russian oil, thing that has dismayed Europeans.