EU approves €90bn Ukraine loan as Druzhba pipeline restarts, ending deadlock

Crude oil started flowing into Slovakia for the first time since January 27, after the restart.

It was noted that the EU funding could still take weeks to reach Kyiv.

Slovak energy minister Denisa Sakova said pressurising of the Druzhba pipeline had begun that morning, with crude oil expected to flow into Slovakia on April 23, 2026.

Ukraine and officials said pumping had restarted hours after EU ambassadors began discussing the loan.

EU ambassadors meeting in Brussels gave preliminary approval to the €90bn loan and to a 20th package of sanctions on Russia.

Zelenskiy said there can be no grounds for blocking the loan any more and urged the EU to deliver on commitments.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy discussed how the loan would be unblocked with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa.

Ukraine said repairs to the Druzhba pipeline had been completed.

Orbán's election defeat ended his 16-year tenure as prime minister, clearing the air for EU dealings.

Ukraine targeted oil facilities inside Russia, including a pumping station in the Samara region linked to the Druzhba pipeline, this week.

Hungary's Viktor Orbán vetoed the payment of the €90bn loan in February after Ukraine said damage to the Druzhba pipeline had halted supplies.

Satellite images suggested substantial damage to a major oil tank at Brody in western Ukraine in late January, with Kyiv saying repairs would take some time and noting engineers had come under Russian attack.

The EU had, in December 2025, agreed to provide Ukraine with a €90bn loan, to be disbursed in stages. Two-thirds of the loan were to bolster Ukraine's defence needs, with the remainder for broader financial assistance.