Zelensky urged the EU to develop a plan to circumvent Hungary’s veto

The European Union should develop a “Plan B” for granting Ukraine a €90 billion loan and figure out how to bypass Hungary’s veto on providing the financing.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with Politico.

Zelensky said Hungary is engaging in “blackmail,” so Europe and Ukraine need a Plan B.

“We—and all of Europe—need this Plan B. Our European partners and true friends know that we are defending not only Ukrainian values, but the freedom of all Europe,” Zelensky said.

Asked about his threats toward Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Zelensky said that “diplomatic silence” is not very useful when dealing with him. The Ukrainian leader also accused Orbán of being a “strategic partner,” “friend,” and “ally” of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“He stands on the side of the Russian leader. He does the same thing—he blocks everything for Ukraine. There is only one thing he does not do today: he does not attack our territory with missiles or drones and does not send his soldiers. … He spreads the same narratives as Russia. He personally does that,” Zelensky emphasized.

Politico recently wrote that if Hungary and Slovakia maintain their veto, the EU intends to provide Ukraine with funds via bilateral loans that do not require unanimous approval from all member states—specifically, the EU plans to provide €30 billion, the outlet reported. EU Economy Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis also said the EU will provide Ukraine with the €90 billion loan one way or another despite Budapest’s veto.

The EU approved the €90 billion loan for Ukraine for 2026–2027 back in December 2025, deciding it would be backed by EU funds rather than frozen Russian assets.

In February, Hungary vetoed both the loan and the EU’s 20th sanctions package against Russia after Kyiv halted the transit of Russian oil through the Druzhba pipeline. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico also said Bratislava is ready to block the loan together with Hungary if Ukraine does not restore transit via the Druzhba pipeline.

Earlier, in Europe, Fico was described as a less serious obstacle to the loan for Ukraine.