An agreement was reached at the ambassador level on Wednesday, announces the presidency Hungary via X. This means that the different parts of the loan package are expected to be formally finalized by the end of October.
However, there is still no agreement on the last component, to extend the freezing of Russian state funds in the EU for three years at a time, instead of six months. This part is intended to ensure the long-term sustainability of the EU loan, which is based on the use of the returns from the approximately 280 billion euros in Russian assets that have been frozen due to the war in Ukraine.
Above all, it is Hungary that is currently saying no to an extended freezing period and wants the issue to be addressed first after the US presidential election in November. This has caused significant irritation among several other EU countries.
Unfortunate, said Sweden's Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson (M) about the blockade on Tuesday.
