Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul celebrated the news, too, writing on X that “The €90 billion for Ukraine … are coming now,” since “Hungary is back in the European family.”
After initially agreeing to the loan in December, Budapest blocked it in February as a dispute flared over the pipeline. Orbán accused Zelenskyy of slow-walking repairs to the infrastructure in retaliation for Hungary’s friendly relations with Russia.
Zelenskyy sounded optimistic the cash would finally reach Ukraine. “The unblocking is the right signal under the current circumstances,” he wrote on X on Wednesday.
EU ambassadors gave preliminary backing to the package, according to Cyprus, which holds the presidency of the Council of the EU, after Ukraine’s repairs and the westward flows resumed.
POLITICO spoke to five EU diplomats and officials, present in a meeting of ambassadors on Wednesday or briefed by those who were, and who were granted anonymity to speak freely about the deal.
In the meeting, Hungary and Slovakia made clear their support depends on oil physically reaching their territory, according to three of the diplomats. “Some caution is needed as there might still be technical issues,” one diplomat said.