European Union ambassadors agreed on a massive €90 billion Ukraine EU loan during a meeting in Brussels on April 22. The breakthrough occurred after Hungary withdrew its veto and operations resumed on the Druzhba oil pipeline, which had been paralyzed since late January 2026 due to hostilities between Russia and Ukraine.
Timeline for Ukraine EU Loan First Payments
Following the political compromise reached by ambassadors, the fund transfer process will be launched immediately. The first disbursements from the €90 billion credit package are expected to reach Ukraine as early as tomorrow. The final formal step remains the verification procedure and final approval of the decision by EU heads of state.
János Bóka: Blocking Funds Was Not Hungary’s Goal
Hungarian Minister for European Union Affairs János Bóka confirmed the resumption of Russian oil transit via the Druzhba pipeline. He noted that the development is “particularly important” for his country amid rising energy prices caused by the Middle Eastern crisis.
Regarding the link between the €90 billion loan and the operation of the Druzhba pipeline, Bóka wrote that blocking the funds “was not the goal (of Hungary), but a tool for asserting interests, necessitated by Ukraine’s bad-faith behavior.”
According to the minister, “the Ukrainian oil blockade has been broken. It has been proven that Ukraine blocked oil transportation for political reasons, and also that they ran out of money before we ran out of oil. Hungary’s tactics proved successful.”
Conflict Over the 2027 Oil Embargo
Despite unblocking the loan and adopting the 20th sanctions package, fundamental disagreements remain between Hungary and the EU leadership. NEWSROOM IN notes that an EU law requiring a total phase-out of Russian fossil fuels by 2027 took effect in January 2026. Hungary and Slovakia have already challenged this decision in court, signaling a readiness for an open break with the common European strategy to maintain low commodity prices.
The Druzhba pipeline was repeatedly attacked and damaged during the Russia-Ukraine war (2022–2026). Sources, including statements from Ukrainian and Hungarian officials as well as media reports, attribute blame to different parties depending on the timing and location of each incident. The Druzhba pipeline has been struck by both combatant sides.