Oil as the key to financial assistance
The new Hungarian Prime Minister, Peter Magyar, said that Budapest is ready to lift its veto on a 90 billion euro loan to Ukraine from the European Union on one condition – the resumption of oil supplies through the Druzhba pipeline.
According to him, the energy factor remains critically important for the Hungarian economy, which is why it has become the basis of the country’s political position in negotiations on supporting Ukraine.
Waiting for a decision from Orban
Magyar also noted that he expects a corresponding step from his predecessor, Viktor Orban, who is currently completing his term. It is the current position of the Orban government that is still blocking the final approval of the financial package.
At the same time, the new Prime Minister emphasized that even if the loan is unblocked, Hungary will not participate in its financing.
EU position and difficult negotiations
The decision to provide Ukraine with large-scale financial assistance was made even earlier, but disagreements persist within the European Union regarding the implementation mechanisms.
Some countries, in particular Hungary, have been granted the right not to participate financially in the program, which creates additional political nuances in the process of its launch.
The Slovakian factor
A separate obstacle remains the position of Slovakia. Prime Minister Robert Fico has not yet changed his position on supporting Ukraine, which also affects the speed of the final decision.
Delays and bureaucracy
In addition to political factors, the process is also being slowed down by technical issues. The formation of a new government in Hungary takes time, and the European Commission has already postponed the first tranche within the framework of the credit program.
As a result, the issue of financial assistance to Ukraine increasingly depends not only on political support, but also on the energy interests of European states.
