The countries of the European Union have reached a political agreement to approve a loan of 90 billion euros destined for Ukraine, as well as a new package of sanctions against Russia. The decision comes after two months of institutional blockade caused by Hungary's veto, which had prevented the necessary unanimity to move forward with both measures.
The agreement was reached in Brussels at a meeting of ambassadors of the Member States, after the Government of Viktor Orbán finally lifted its objections. Slovakia had also shown reluctance in recent weeks, which had especially delayed the approval of the twentieth package of sanctions, initially scheduled to come into force on February 24, coinciding with the anniversary of the start of the Russian invasion in 2022.
The aid package to Kyiv still requires a last formal procedure by the Council of the EU, which is expected to be completed by written procedure in the coming hours. Once this step is overcome, the progressive disbursement of funds will begin, with which the EU seeks to sustain the Ukrainian economy.
In parallel, the new economic sanctions against Russia will enter into force immediately after their formal adoption, while the individual measures, which include the blacklisting of individuals and entities, will require their prior publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. These sanctions are part of the community strategy to weaken Moscow's financial and energy capacity since the beginning of the conflict.
The unblocking of both decisions coincides with a relevant advance on the ground. The president of Ukraine, Volodímir Zelenski, recently confirmed the completion of the repair works of the Druzhba pipeline, a key infrastructure for the transport of Russian oil towards Central Europe that had been damaged by attacks in the framework of the war.
For months, this infrastructure was a source of tensions between Ukraine, Hungary and Slovakia, who accused Kyiv of not prioritizing its repair. In this context, the reestablishment of the pipeline's operation has contributed to lowering political and energy pressure in the region, also facilitating the agreement within the EU and allowing progress in economic support and sanctions against Russia.
