António Costa Urges Viktor Orbán to Unblock €90 Billion Credit for Ukraine

European Council President António Costa held a telephone conversation with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on March 17 to press for the unblocking of a 90 (billion euros) — EU credit package for Ukraine blocked by Hungary credit package for Ukraine, as Brussels moved to resolve a dispute over the Druzhba oil pipeline that has underpinned Hungary's veto. Costa urged Orbán to honor commitments made at the European Council, according to reporting by El Mundo. The call came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky agreed to allow European Union experts to inspect the Druzhba pipeline, a concession that marked a shift in Kyiv's position on the energy dispute. The EU had previously asked Kyiv for a specific timeline for the pipeline's repair to ensure resumed oil flow to Hungary and Slovakia, according to ANSA. Brussels also offered to help fund the pipeline's reconstruction as part of the effort to end Hungary's veto on the broader financial aid package.

Budapest links billions in aid to pipeline repair deadline Hungary's blocking of the EU credit to Ukraine has centered on the operational status of the Druzhba pipeline, which carries oil to both Hungary and Slovakia. Viktor Orbán has conditioned his country's support for the aid package on guarantees that oil supplies through the pipeline will resume, according to reporting by Focus and nextgazetapl. A date for the resumption of oil flow to Hungary and Slovakia has been set, according to NCZAS.INFO, though no confirmed information is available on the specific date cited in that report. The EU's offer to help rebuild the pipeline represents a significant financial and political commitment by Brussels to resolve the standoff. The events.interia.pl outlet reported that Zelensky received a reprimand from Brussels over the pipeline dispute, reflecting the pressure Kyiv has faced from its European partners. Zelensky's agreement to allow EU inspections of the pipeline was described by El Confidencial as a concession that could pave the way for lifting Hungary's veto.

Druzhba dispute traces back to decades of energy dependence The Druzhba pipeline has been in operation since 1964, making it one of the oldest and largest oil pipeline networks in the world. Hungary and Slovakia have remained among the most dependent EU member states on Russian crude oil delivered through the pipeline, a legacy of Soviet-era energy infrastructure. The pipeline's continued operation has repeatedly become a point of political leverage in disputes between Ukraine, Russia, and Central European states. The broader EU financial support package for Ukraine has been subject to repeated vetoes and delays linked to Hungary's objections across multiple policy areas. The pipeline dispute has placed Kyiv in the difficult position of balancing its wartime energy infrastructure decisions against the need for continued EU financial support. Brussels framing the pipeline repair as a shared European interest, rather than a purely bilateral Ukrainian-Hungarian matter, reflects the bloc's effort to depoliticize the technical question of oil transit. The EU's request for a concrete repair timeline from Kyiv signals that the bloc is treating the pipeline's restoration as a precondition for resolving Hungary's veto, according to ANSA. Costa's direct call to Orbán underscored the urgency that European Council leadership has attached to unlocking the European Council-backed credit package.

Russian strike on Ukrainian hydro plant poisons Moldovan water supply Separately, a Russian strike on a Ukrainian hydroelectric plant caused pollution that cut off the water supply to the Moldovan city of Soroca, Reuters reported on March 17. The strike damaged infrastructure at the hydro plant, releasing pollutants that rendered the water supply to Soroca unusable. The incident illustrated the broader regional consequences of Russian military strikes on Ukrainian energy and water infrastructure, extending beyond Ukraine's borders into neighboring Moldova. No confirmed information is available on the number of residents affected or the expected duration of the water supply disruption, based on available reporting.