Von der Leyen Urges Ukraine to Repair Druzhba Pipeline, EU to Provide €90B Loan Despite Hungary’s Opposition
EU Pledges Ukraine Loan Despite Hungarian Veto, Pipeline Dispute
Kyiv – European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has reaffirmed the European Union’s commitment to providing a €90 billion loan to Ukraine, despite a veto threat from Hungary linked to the stalled repair of the Druzhba oil pipeline. The pledge came during a visit to Kyiv on Tuesday, marking the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Von der Leyen urged Ukraine to expedite repairs to the Druzhba pipeline, damaged in a Russian attack on January 27th, citing concerns over Europe’s energy security. “Russian attacks on the Druzhba pipeline have had a direct impact on Europe’s energy security. We strongly condemn these Russian attacks. I would like to thank Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković for his efforts to secure and increase oil supplies to Hungary, Slovakia and Serbia via the Adriatic pipeline. In the meantime, we are calling for the acceleration of repairs to the Druzhba pipeline following the Russian attacks,” she stated.
The damage to the Druzhba pipeline has halted Russian oil flows to Hungary and Slovakia since January 27th. Ukraine attributes the damage to a Russian attack on a facility in the Lviv region. However, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico have suggested Kyiv is engaging in political blackmail and interfering with pre-election campaigns in Hungary.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, standing alongside Von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa, rebuffed the call for swift repairs, stating, “It cannot be that Russia destroys, Ukraine or Europe repairs, and Russia attacks again.” He also highlighted the risk to Ukrainian workers involved in repairing infrastructure repeatedly targeted by Russia.
The dispute centers on Hungary’s demand that oil transit via the Druzhba pipeline be restored before it will approve the EU loan package. Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó has accused Ukraine of coordinating with Brussels and the Hungarian opposition to create energy supply disruptions and inflate fuel prices ahead of upcoming elections.
Despite Hungary’s opposition, Von der Leyen insisted the EU will deliver the agreed-upon €90 billion loan “one way or another.” “Let me be clear. We have different options and we will use them,” she emphasized.
The European Commission adopted the legislative package to implement the €90 billion loan in January, allocating roughly €60 billion for military assistance and €30 billion for general budget support. The loan, known as the “Ukraine Support Loan,” is intended to support Ukraine’s budgetary and military needs through 2026 and 2027.
The standoff between the EU and Hungary has intensified in recent weeks, with European Council President António Costa warning Orbán against backtracking on the December 18th agreement to approve the loan. In a letter to Orbán, Costa warned that failing to abide by the decision would “constitute a violation of the principle of sincere cooperation” and that “no Member State can be allowed to undermine the credibility of decisions taken collectively by the European Council.”
Orbán, however, responded by accusing Kyiv of deliberately delaying repairs to the Druzhba pipeline and creating an energy emergency in Hungary. He maintained his position, stating that Ukraine must address the pipeline issue before he would support the loan. “You also certainly see the absurdity of the situation: we take a decision financially favourable to Ukraine that I personally disapprove, then Ukraine creates an energy emergency situation in Hungary, and you ask me to pretend that nothing happened. This is not possible,” Orbán wrote in his reply to Costa.
Von der Leyen also discussed Ukraine’s potential accession to the EU, acknowledging the progress made but emphasizing that it remains a merit-based process. Zelenskyy reiterated his call for a clear date for Ukraine’s EU accession in 2027.