BRUSSELS, March 19 (Reuters) - European Union leaders are expected to put heavy pressure on Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Thursday to lift his blockade on a vital 90-billion-euro ($103
EU leaders fail to convince Hungary's Orban to lift block on Ukraine loan
Hungary's Blockade on EU Loan to Ukraine
By Andrew Gray and Lili Bayer
Summit Outcome and Orban's Position
BRUSSELS, March 19 (Reuters) - European Union leaders failed to convince Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at a summit on Thursday to lift his blockade on a vital 90-billion-euro ($103 billion) EU loan to Ukraine, officials said.
Background to the Loan Dispute
EU leaders agreed to the loan in December but Orban, who has cordial ties with Russia and has clashed with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has so far blocked its implementation, citing a dispute over a war-damaged pipeline.
Reactions and Implications for the EU
Orban's stance has angered other EU leaders as Kyiv could run short of money in weeks if it does not receive new funding and his U-turn has called into question the credibility of the European Council, the EU's highest decision-making body.
Additional Reporting and Editing
(Additional reporting by Kate Abnett, Bart Meijer, Miranda Murray, Essi Lehto, Gianluca Lo Nostro, Gergely Szakacs, Andreas Rinke, Olena Harmash, Julia Payne; Writing by Andrew Gray and Ingrid Melander; Editing by Stephen Coates and Timothy Heritage)
