EU Foreign Affairs Chief Kaja Kallas is hopeful after signals this weekend that Hungary's outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orbán may lift his veto against the multi-billion-euro loan, perhaps as early as Wednesday's regular ambassadors' meeting in Brussels.
"We expect some positive decisions tomorrow regarding the 90 billion euro loan. Ukraine really needs this loan," said Kallas on her way to Tuesday's EU foreign ministers' meeting in Luxembourg.
Mid-May
Everything depends on whether it is possible to get some Russian oil through Ukraine to Hungary via the war-damaged Druzhba pipeline.
"We are waiting for a statement from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. We hear it could happen soon, but let's see," said European Commission chief spokeswoman Paula Pinho at a press briefing in Brussels.
Sweden's Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard (M) is hopeful but expects that Ukraine will have to wait a few more weeks for the money.
"Now we are going to carry out tests on the Druzhba pipeline and we hope they go well so that we can then receive a positive response from Hungary, perhaps even earlier than we had expected, and thus be able to pay out as early as mid-May," said Malmer Stenergard in Luxembourg.
The European Commission is aiming for "as soon as possible within the second quarter", according to press spokesman Balazs Ujvari.
One hundred packages
The opening around the 90 billion euro loan has raised hopes that Hungary will also stop opposing the EU's 20th sanctions package against Russia.
Malmer Stenergard has been disappointed for a long time that the package has been mothballed since February - even though she thinks the package is too weak.
"It is not comprehensive enough. That is why we must also start work on the 21st package. I want, as I said before, to see a hundred sanctions packages against Russia. We must continue to limit them," said Malmer Stenergard in Luxembourg.
