EU gives final approval to €90 billion loan for Ukraine

By Ahmet Taş | Wise News Press

LONDON, UK — The European Union (EU) has given its final approval to a massive €90 billion loan package for Ukraine, which had long been suspended due to Hungary's opposition and serves as a vital lifeline for the country's war economy.

Immediately following the decision, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized the critical importance of the loan for his country's defense and made a renewed call for full EU membership. This bold statement, made ahead of his upcoming summit with European Union leaders, has accelerated the diplomatic traffic between Brussels and Kyiv.

"We do not need symbolic membership"

Announcing the lifting of the loan blockade on X (formerly Twitter), Zelenskyy stated: "Today is an important day for our defense and our relations with the European Union. The block on Europe's support loan to Ukraine has been lifted. €90 billion over two years."

Speaking to reporters about the EU accession process, the Ukrainian leader underscored that they are defending European values on the frontlines. "Ukraine does not need a symbolic EU membership. We are defending shared European values. I believe we deserve full membership in the EU," Zelenskyy said, sending a clear message to Brussels. Zelenskyy is expected to reiterate this demand face-to-face when he attends the summit of heads of state and government hosted by the EU Term President, the Republic of Cyprus, on April 23-24.

Orban's veto and the Druzhba pipeline crisis

According to Reuters, this vital loan package for Ukraine had been vetoed by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban until recently. Orban, who had approved the loan in principle in December 2025, halted the process in February by exercising the member states' unanimity rule.

The Budapest administration justified its veto by citing a drone strike on the Soviet-era "Druzhba" pipeline, which transports Russian oil through Ukraine to Hungary, Slovakia, and Czechia. In response to Kyiv, which blamed Russia for the attack that cut off the oil flow, Orban declared he would not approve the EU loan until the damage was repaired, utilizing this issue as an election campaign argument in domestic politics. However, Orban's 16-year rule ended following the elections on April 12.

A loan that acts as a 'grant'

The loan crisis was resolved after Zelenskyy announced on April 21 that the pipeline had been repaired and flows could resume. Following confirmations of the resumed oil flow by the respective countries and an objection-free process by EU ambassadors, the approval process was completed on Thursday.

According to data from the BBC, Brussels will transfer a total of €45 billion to Kyiv this year in stages, comprising €16.7 billion in financial and €28.3 billion in military support. The payments are strictly conditional on Ukraine adhering to its anti-corruption and reform commitments, with a priority given to European products for military purchases. The remaining €45 billion of the package will be allocated for Ukraine's budgetary needs next year. Diplomatic sources suggest this massive financing is essentially a "grant," noting that repayment would only be conceivable in a scenario where Russia agrees to pay war reparations in the future.

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