EU close to signing off on critical €90bn loan for Ukraine after months of vetoing from Hungary – Europe live

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'We live in dangerous world,' Nato's Rutte warns, as he calls for ramp up in defence production

Elsewhere, Nato’s secretary general, Mark Rutte, spoke in Turkey in the last hour, delivering his usual spiel about how Europe needs to step up its defence production.

He said:

“We live … in a more dangerous world, and that means we need strong defences to protect our security. We need the best capabilities. We need to incorporate the latest technology.”

He explained that the alliance needed to gear up as it faces a number of challenges given “Russia’s war against Ukraine rages on, China’s military modernisation and nuclear expansion … continue … and Iran is spreading terror and chaos.”

His trip to Turkey is part of industry engagement ahead of Nato’s summit in Ankara in July.

Hungary confirms Druzhba pipeline is ready to resume oil deliveries

And we are getting a similar line from the Hungarian oil group MOL.

The company said it received a notification that “repair works on the Druzhba Pipeline have been completed and that the force majeure conditions in effect since 27 January 2026 ceased as of 6 pm on 21 April 2026.”

“According to the notification, JSC Ukrtransnafta is ready to resume crude oil transit to Hungary and Slovakia,” it added.

Ukraine started pumping oil through Druzhba with deliveries to Slovakia expected to resume on Thursday, minister says

Slovak economy minister Denisa Saková just said that the Ukrainian operator Ukrtransnafta confirmed it has started the “pressurisation and filling” of the Druzhba pipeline, with deliveries to Slovakia expected to resume on Thursday morning.

For what it’s worth, AFP is reporting a senior Kyiv official as telling the agency that Ukraine will restart the oil flows through the Druzhba pipeline “within a few hours.”

Let’s see if the EU’s decision can be made before then, or if Hungary will hold out until the oil is actually flowing.

Morning opening: EU close to signing off on €90bn loan for Ukraine

After four months of very public disagreements between Ukraine and Hungary, today could be the day when the EU finally signs off (for the second time) on the critical €90bn loan for Kyiv.

The Druzhba oil pipeline between Hungary and Russia is seen at the Hungarian MOL Group's Danube Refinery in Szazhalombatta, Hungary Photograph: Bernadett Szabó/Reuters

Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed yesterday that the Druzhba pipeline, carrying Russian oil imports to Hungary and Slovakia, has been repaired and is ready to be used again. EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, said yesterday she expected “a positive decision” within the next 24 hours.

Ambassadors from the 27 member states are meeting this morning to discuss the disbursement of the loan, which has been held up until now by Hungary’s outgoing prime minister, Viktor Orbán.

The loan had been originally agreed at the European Council in December, but after the pipeline was struck by a Russian missile and damaged, causing the oil flows to stop, Hungary decided to block the payments until deliveries are restored.

For all we know, the oil is not quite flowing yet, but it could flow any time now, so it’s just a matter of both sides agreeing to move on this issue. Crucially, the incoming Hungarian government of Péter Magyar has maintained the view the previous administration’s stance: deliveries must restart before Hungary will agree to the payout.

The payment could not come early enough for Ukraine as the country urgently needs that money to fund its continuing defence against Russia. Zelenskyy spoke about his priorities with several EU leaders last night.

I will bring you the key lines when we have more on this.

Separately, EU energy commissioner Dan Jørgensen is expected to give his take on how Europe could be affected by the Middle East crisis today. I will bring you his words when he speaks later this morning.

It’s Wednesday, 22 April 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.

Good morning.