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European Union efforts to impose new sanctions on Russia are facing a roadblock as Hungary continues to object, prompting frustration from other member states. The dispute centers on a stalled agreement for a 90 billion euro ($97 billion USD) EU loan to Ukraine, and a separate issue regarding the repair of a damaged oil pipeline.
“All I can say is that I am still shocked by Hungary’s behavior,” German Foreign Minister Johann Wadepuhl said in Berlin on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, adding that Budapest’s veto of the sanctions was a betrayal of Hungary’s own struggle for freedom.
Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevo warned that “Hungary needs to understand” that other EU countries are “running out of patience.” The comments reflect growing tensions within the bloc over how to respond to Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, which began four years ago.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has been delaying both the sanctions package and the proposed EU loan to Ukraine, demanding that Kyiv first restart operations of the Druzhba oil pipeline. This pipeline carries Russian oil through Ukraine to Slovakia and Hungary.
The Druzhba pipeline was damaged in late January as a result of Russian strikes. EU sanctions require unanimous approval from all member states, and Orbán’s solo blocking action has angered other nations.
Wadepuhl pointed out that Orbán had previously agreed to the EU-backed loan for Ukraine. “Hungary cannot explain this inconsistency,” he stated, adding that the loan agreement “has nothing to do with the damaged pipeline, which of course needs to be repaired.”
Prevo, speaking during a visit to Berlin, urged Hungary to “change course.” He suggested that with parliamentary elections approaching in Hungary, Orbán may be attempting to craft EU aid to Ukraine a central issue in his campaign.
“But to go so far as to dare to hold the fate and needs of Ukraine and its people hostage during a time of war – that, in my opinion, is crossing a red line,” Prevo said. The development underscores the challenges the EU faces in maintaining a united front against Russian aggression.
