Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has indicated that he may lift his veto on the EU’s €90 billion support package for Kyiv if the bloc conducts a proper assessment of damage to the Druzhba oil pipeline in Ukraine.
In a letter to António Costa dated Thursday, Orbán acknowledged the political difficulties caused by Budapest blocking the loan, which was approved by all EU leaders at a December summit.
Orbán claims that Ukraine is delaying repairs to the pipeline, which has been a key route for Hungary and Slovakia to import discounted Russian crude throughout the war. He has threatened to veto the loan unless an independent evaluation is conducted.
“It is in the interest of Hungary to restore the transfer as soon as possible,” Orbán wrote. He proposed a fact-finding mission including experts from Hungary and Slovakia to assess the pipeline’s condition and said Budapest would accept the findings.
A senior EU official told POLITICO that the request has been noted but highlighted that security concerns make an on-site inspection challenging. Meanwhile, EU capitals are pressing Hungary to honor its commitments.
The situation is urgent: Ukraine could exhaust its funds by April, while Orbán faces parliamentary elections the same month, with polls showing him trailing rival Péter Magyar.
