Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is using the issue of Ukraine to win votes in his parliamentary election campaign, making it unlikely that a €90 billion ($104 billion) EU assistance loan to Kyiv will be unblocked before Hungary’s April 12 elections, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Friday.
According to Ukrinform, Tusk made the remarks during a press conference after a European Council meeting in Brussels. He said European leaders have failed to convince Orbán, who continues to “use certain procedural or formal tricks to block aid to Ukraine.”
Tusk stressed that the situation is problematic for both Poland and Europe, as the loan “is primarily about a chance to stop Russia and its aggression in Ukraine.”
He added that Brussels would look for alternative solutions, but warned this would not be easy, as financial assistance to Ukraine requires unanimity among EU member states.
“There is no ‘plan B,’” Tusk said – adding that “political intuition tells me that by April 12 we will not be able to launch this financial assistance.”
Also on Friday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen vowed that the EU would still deliver the loan, “one way or the other,” despite Hungary’s opposition.
European Council President Antonio Costa called Hungary’s stance “unacceptable,” warning that “no one can blackmail the European Council.”
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that the European Commission has been tasked with finding alternative ways to release the funds, describing Hungary’s veto as an unprecedented “act of serious disloyalty” that could undermine trust within the bloc.
Russian state media quickly praised Hungary’s blockade, portraying Orbán as a “tough leader” defending national sovereignty against Brussels and framing the standoff as evidence of a divided Europe.
Some outlets labeled efforts to bypass Hungary as “illegal,” while Russian state media outlet RIA Novosti quoted Russian analyst Alexey Martynov as saying that the EU was using both “legal and illegal” means to pressure Orbán ahead of the election – even referring to a common Kremlin propaganda narrative that the EU is attempting to incite a possible “color revolution.”
A segment on Solovyov Live, a Kremlin propaganda channel, called the vote a “special operation by Brussels” to remove the “only leader” unwilling to let his people “freeze for Zelensky.”
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova echoed this narrative, accusing Brussels of “terrorizing” Hungary by threatening to withhold funds unless Orbán backs what she described as a “death warrant” for the country’s economy.
The dispute comes just weeks before Hungary’s parliamentary election, widely seen as the toughest challenge to Orbán’s rule in years.
Some analysts say the clash allows him to present himself as a defender of sovereignty and a “peace” candidate resisting deeper involvement in the war.
His critics also point to alleged Russian interference in the election campaign and note that Hungary is blocking the EU’s 20th sanctions package against Moscow, reinforcing claims that Budapest is acting in line with Kremlin interests.
Despite the standoff, Brussels insists that support for Kyiv will continue, stressing the urgency of financial assistance as the war drags on.
Earlier, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said Hungary would block the €90 billion aid package and the 20th sanctions package until issues surrounding oil transit via the Druzhba pipeline are resolved.