Magyar: Orban will lift veto on Ukraine after Druzhba pipeline resumes operation

Hungary’s current Prime Minister Viktor Orban will lift the veto on providing a €90 billion European Union (EU) loan to Ukraine once oil supplies through the Druzhba pipeline are restored.

This was stated by Peter Magyar, leader of the Tisza Party, which won the parliamentary elections in Hungary, in an interview with state television.

Earlier this week, Magyar noted that Budapest would not stand in the way of Kyiv receiving €90 billion.

He recalled that under preliminary agreements with the EU, Hungary would in any case opt out of financial participation in the loan. At the same time, Magyar added that Budapest expects the damaged Druzhba oil pipeline to be restored by the end of April.

“Taking into account the situation with strategic oil reserves, the current government bears great responsibility for everything that will happen in the next 20–30 days,” he said.

Orban had blocked the disbursement in January due to a dispute with Ukraine over disruptions in oil supplies via the Druzhba pipeline, which had been damaged by a Russian drone strike.