EU leaders pile pressure on Hungary's Orban to lift block on Ukraine loan


Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrives for a European Union leaders' summit in Brussels, Belgium, March 19, 2026. REUTERS/Yves Herman

BRUSSELS, ⁠March 19 (Reuters) - European Union leaders piled pressure on Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Thursday to lift his ⁠blockade on a vital 90-billion-euro ($103 billion) EU loan to Ukraine to keep up its fight against Russia's ‌invasion.

EU leaders agreed to the loan in December but Orban, who has cordial ties with Russia and has clashed with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, blocked its implementation last month, citing a dispute over a war-damaged pipeline.

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