AL Hussam news -Brussels: The European Union has given final approval to a €90 billion loan for Ukraine, while also adopting a new package of sanctions against Russia, after months of delay caused by objections from Hungary and Slovakia.
The measures had been prepared since the beginning of the year and were initially expected to be announced in February, to mark the fourth anniversary of the war between Russia and Ukraine. However, Budapest and Bratislava held up the move for months because of a sharp dispute over a damaged pipeline.
Following the Hungarian prime minister’s defeat in the elections, Hungary lifted its veto on the funding package, pending the resumption of Russian oil flows through the Druzhba pipeline after Kyiv announced that repairs had been completed and operations had resumed.
The decision comes just hours before a European summit in Cyprus, which will be attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
In a post on X, European Council President António Costa said that the EU’s strategy for achieving a “just and lasting peace” in Ukraine rests on two main pillars: supporting Ukraine’s position and increasing pressure on Russia. He added that progress had been made on both fronts.
