EU Can Bypass Hungary’s Ukraine Loan Veto, Kallas Says

EU foreign policy chief says alternatives exist to move forward with the €90 billion loan to Kyiv but warns leaders must show political courage to overcome Hungary’s opposition.

19.03.2026 16:15

Newsroom

EU Can Bypass Hungary’s Ukraine Loan Veto, Kallas Says

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas speaks during a closing press conference at a European Union Energy and Foreign Affairs ministers meeting in Brussels, Belgium, March 16, 2026. REUTERS/Omar Havana

19.03.2026 16:15

World

Newsroom

EU foreign policy chief says alternatives exist to move forward with the €90 billion loan to Kyiv but warns leaders must show political courage to overcome Hungary’s opposition.

The European Union has tools to bypass Hungary’s veto of a €90 billion ($103 billion) loan package for Ukraine, but doing so will require political courage from European leaders, the bloc’s foreign policy chief said on Thursday.

Kaja Kallas told reporters ahead of a European Council summit in Brussels that alternatives exist if the stalemate continues.

“There are alternatives, but let’s see how this goes,” Kallas said. “It will also need some political character from all of us.”

Pressure Mounts on Hungary

Hungary has faced growing pressure from other EU member states to lift its veto on the financial package intended to support Ukraine.

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has defended the decision, linking it to a dispute with Kyiv over a war-damaged oil pipeline.

Kallas suggested that alternative oil supplies could help ease the tensions, pointing to Croatia as a potential source for Hungary.

Questions Over Hungary’s Position

The EU’s foreign policy chief also criticized Hungary’s stance, saying the country was not acting “in good faith” in resisting the loan that had already been agreed by other member states.