The EU has approved a €90 billion loan to Ukraine after Kyiv resumed sending Russian oil through pipelines to Hungary and Slovakia, following earlier claims that the pipelines were damaged due to attacks.
On 22 Apr 2026 GMT+7, the European Union (EU) agreed to approve a €90 billion loan to Ukraine after Ukraine announced it had resumed sending Russian oil through pipelines to Hungary and Slovakia, marking an end to a prolonged suspension lasting several months.
EU ambassadors meeting in Brussels gave preliminary approval for the loan shortly after Kyiv announced the resumption of oil shipments. The EU ambassadors also approved the 20th package of sanctions against Russia, expected to be officially signed on Thursday.
The loan had been approved since December last year, but Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán vetoed the payment in February after Ukraine halted Russian oil pipeline deliveries to Hungary and Slovakia, citing damage from Russian attacks that disrupted the oil flow.
Sources from the oil industry and the Ukrainian government informed officials in Hungary and Slovakia that oil shipments resumed only hours after the EU ambassadors began discussions about the loan. Orbán demanded that oil flow into Hungary before the loan was disbursed, while Ukraine confirmed repairs were completed as of Tuesday.
Additionally, Orbán’s recent election defeat on Sunday has eased tensions between Hungary and the EU, as Orbán had close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin and had consistently obstructed EU aid to Ukraine and sanctions against Russia.
“Ukraine urgently needs this loan, and it also signals that Russia cannot break Ukraine’s resilience,” said Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief, ahead of the ambassadors’ meeting.
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Taras Kachka described the EU support as a “matter of life and death” for Ukraine, noting that two-thirds of the funds will be used to strengthen national defense, while the remainder will provide financial aid in other areas.
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Source:bbc