Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on February 23, 2026
1 min readLast updated: April 2, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleEU Council chief António Costa urged Hungary’s Viktor Orbán to honor an EU-approved €90bn loan for Ukraine. Hungary links approval to resuming Russian oil flows via the Druzhba pipeline.
BRUSSELS, Feb 23 (Reuters) - European Council President Antonio Costa on Monday urged Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to honour an EU deal for a 90 billion euro ($106.11 billion) loan to Ukraine, after Budapest said it would block the plan until Russian oil flows again through the Druzhba pipeline that traverses Ukraine.
"When leaders reach a consensus, they are bound by their decision. Any breach of this commitment constitutes a violationof the principle of sincere cooperation," Costa, who chairs summits of EU leaders, said in a letter to Orban seen by Reuters.
"No Member State can be allowed to undermine the credibility of decisions taken collectively by the European Council," Costa wrote, referring to the loan, which was approved by EU leaders at a summit in December.
($1 = 0.8482 euros)
(Reporting by Andrew Gray, editing by Inti Landauro)
António Costa urged Hungary’s Viktor Orbán to honor an EU-approved €90bn loan for Ukraine, warning that blocking it undermines agreed European Council decisions.
Budapest says it will withhold approval until Russian oil flows resume through the Druzhba pipeline crossing Ukraine, tying the loan to energy transit.
He referenced the EU principle of sincere cooperation, stressing that leaders must uphold collectively agreed decisions and not erode the Council’s credibility.
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