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EU Envoys Hope to OK Loan for Ukraine 04/22 06:19
BRUSSELS (AP) -- European Union envoys gathered on Wednesday with the
majority cautiously optimistic that a massive loan to help meet Ukraine's
military and financial needs for the next two years may soon be approved after
months of deadlock.
At a meeting in Brussels, the envoys assessed whether Hungary might lift its
veto on the 90-billion-euro ($106 billion) loan package, which Ukraine
desperately needs to prop up its war-ravaged economy and help keep Russian
forces at bay.
Hungary has insisted that it must start receiving supplies of Russian oil
again via Ukraine before it will unblock the funds. Hungary and Slovakia rely
on Russian oil to meet their energy needs.
They have both accused Ukraine of failing to repair a damaged pipeline that
ships the oil. Ukraine and most of its European backers oppose imports of
Russian oil, which have helped to fund President Vladimir Putin's war, now in
its fifth year.
Ukraine gives its green light
In a post on social media, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that
Ukraine has now completed repairs on the Druzhba pipeline. He said it "was
damaged by a Russian strike" but "the pipeline can resume operation."
But outgoing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbn has signaled that he
would only approve the Ukraine loans once the oil starts flowing again, so the
envoys are awaiting a clear signal from Budapest that his veto will be lifted.
Orbn, who has repeatedly blocked EU aid to Ukraine, lost an election on April
12 and is due to leave office next month, to be replaced by the pro-European
opposition leader Pter Magyar.
Cyprus, which currently holds the EU's rotating presidency, intends to
launch a written procedure to approve the final piece of the puzzle in the loan
package. That would require Hungary or any other objecting nation to state in
writing why they oppose it.
Such procedures are often left open for 24 hours, sometimes more, and it was
not immediately clear what time frame Cyprus would use. It ultimately means
that final approval could come on Thursday, when EU leaders meet for a summit
in Cyprus.
Cautious optimism after months of delay
Given the many false dawns in recent months, EU foreign policy chief Kaja
Kallas was reluctant to speculate on the outcome when quizzed by reporters on
Tuesday. "We expect an agreement in 24 hours, so I don't want to jinx it," she
said.
The 27-nation EU had originally intended to use Russian assets frozen in
Europe as collateral for the loan. But that option was blocked by Belgium,
where the bulk of the frozen assets are held.
In December, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia agreed not to stop
their EU partners from borrowing the money on international markets as long as
the three countries did not have to take part in the scheme.
But Orbn angered the other 24 countries by later reneging on that deal over
the pipeline dispute and as campaigning heated up ahead of the election that he
lost in a landslide.
In a Tuesday evening address, Zelenskyy said "there can be no grounds for
blocking" the loans anymore. "The EU asked Ukraine to repair the Druzhba oil
pipeline, which had been destroyed by Russia. We have repaired it."
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha told reporters that Ukraine has done its
part. "We have completed everything -- there is a date (set), and the
infrastructure has been repaired."
New sanctions on Russia
The EU has also been trying since February to push through a new raft of
sanctions against Russia, which Hungary and Slovakia have been blocking. The
measures could take longer than the loan to approve.
Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanr said Tuesday that his country would
only agree once "Russian oil arrives in Slovakia through the Druzhba pipeline.
I can state that we do not have such information yet."
Economy Minister Denisa Sakov said Slovakia expects oil supplies to resume
early on Thursday.
Sakov said that according to information from Ukrtransnaft, a company that
operates the pipeline on Ukrainian territory, oil began entering the Druzhba
pipeline again on Wednesday.
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