Hungary officially withdrew the veto that had been imposed by Viktor Orban, with which he had blocked the €90 billion loan of the European Union to Ukraine, and thus the 27 member states agreed to its payment. They also agreed to new sanctions against Russia.
The lifting of the deadlock, which had lasted for months, came after the reopening of the pipeline that transports oil from Russia through Ukraine toward Slovakia and Hungary.
The pipeline had suffered damage and Ukraine supported that this happened after a Russian attack, while Hungary was accusing Kyiv that it was not moving quickly enough for its restoration. Thus, the veto also came.
The loan will not financially burden Hungary, nor Slovakia and the Czech Republic, which agreed not to block it under this condition.
Orban, however, suffered a crushing defeat in the elections on April 12, and the winning candidate, Peter Magyar, quickly let it be understood that he would lift the veto as soon as he assumes duties in May. However, this finally happened earlier.
Meanwhile, today and tomorrow, Cyprus, which holds the presidency of the EU, will host the Informal Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the EU.
The central subject of discussion, as Kathimerini Cyprus reports, will be the geopolitical developments and their handling by the EU, with its contribution to the de-escalation of the crisis.
Sources: News York Times, Καθημερινή Κύπρου
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