It is "unacceptable" that Hungary's Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, is blocking a 90 billion euro loan to Ukraine. This is what Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen (S) says on her way to the EU summit in Brussels on Thursday.
- The message to Hungary is of course that we have an agreement to provide a loan to Ukraine so that they can continue the war and thus protect not only themselves, but Europe. It is unacceptable that Hungary is blocking Europe from doing what is needed to look after Europe, says Mette Frederiksen.
On her way to the summit, Orbán stated that he will not comply with the agreement on the Ukraine loan from the EU summit in December as long as Ukraine has not ensured that Russian oil flows through the Druzhba pipeline to Hungary.
- We want our oil, which is blocked by the Ukrainians. We will not support any solution that benefits Ukraine as long as the Hungarians cannot get the oil that belongs to us, said Viktor Orbán.
Therefore, there are not many hopes for a solution at Thursday's summit. Orbán is expected to receive criticism from several EU leaders here, because he himself agreed to the loan at the EU summit in December last year.
It even happened with the condition that Hungary would not be held responsible for the loan if Ukraine could not repay it. Slovakia and the Czech Republic were given the same exception at the meeting. This means that the other 24 EU countries - including Denmark - must repay the money if Ukraine cannot.
Election campaign pressures Orbán
But that has not been enough to convince Orbán, who believes that Ukraine is deliberately withholding Russian oil from Hungary. Ukraine denies this, insisting that it will take about six weeks to repair the Druzhba pipeline after Russian attacks. However, the Ukrainian statements are not enough to convince Orbán:
- The oil must arrive in Hungary. Everything else is fairy tales (ed.). Ukraine must understand that this is existential for Hungary. It is not politics. It is Hungarian households that will go bankrupt if the oil does not arrive. Zelenskyj must understand that this is not a game, says Orbán.
Viktor Orbán is currently engaged in a difficult election campaign that lasts until April 12. Therefore, few in Brussels believe that he will give up before the oil is reopened.
In an attempt to resolve the conflict, the EU has sent technical experts to Ukraine to examine the pipeline and help with the repairs. But there is no word yet on when the oil will be able to flow through the pipeline again.
- Would it be a good idea to repair the pipeline? That is a matter for Ukraine. But I see it as a straw man. Hungary is against Ukraine, and when they are, they also work against the rest of Europe. It has nothing to do with this pipeline. It is only a proxy discussion, says Mette Frederiksen.
The other EU countries have made arrangements to pay out the loan. But the final step requires a yes from Hungary. Therefore, Ukraine may have to make do with smaller payments from, among others, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Japan, until the EU loan can be paid out at some point.
/ritzau/
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