"I am worried about the financing," says Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (M) in the Riksdag's EU Committee about the loan intended to give Ukraine money to continue to resist Russia's war.
"What Hungary is doing is completely unacceptable. At the same time, unity is required in the EU."
On Tuesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Council President António Costa announced that the EU had offered “technical support and financing” to repair and restore the Druzhba pipeline, a pipeline through Ukraine that was damaged by a Russian attack at the end of January.
Holding hostages?
Ukraine is reported to have welcomed the offer from the EU.
At the same time, questions are being raised in member states about whether EU money should be used to get Hungary to agree to a decision that has already been made.
The Druzhba pipeline is channeling Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia, the only countries exempt from the EU’s ban on Russian oil imports. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, in particular, has cited the oil ban as a reason for blocking the disbursement of the €90 billion loan to Ukraine that EU heads of state and government agreed to at a summit in December.
"They are holding Ukraine hostage," Kristersson says of Hungary, adding that the next few days, when leaders meet again for a summit in Brussels, will be crucial.
No to sanctions
The Russian war of aggression in Ukraine has been going on for more than four years. Hungary and Slovakia are close to Moscow and have put a damper on EU support for Kyiv.
Citing the damaged oil pipeline, which they accuse Ukraine of delaying repairs to, Hungary and Slovakia are also blocking the EU's latest sanctions package against Russia.
