Ireland’s Europe Minister, Thomas Bryne TD, has urged Hungary to drop its veto on measures to help Ukraine.
Europe ministers are meeting in Brussels on the fourth anniversary of the start of the Ukraine war.
European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, as well as a host of European presidents and prime ministers are in Kyiv today to mark the occasion.
EU officials have spent months preparing a new round of sanctions – the 20th package since the start of the war – against Russia which were supposed to come into effect today.
But at the last minute Hungary vetoed the agreement.
Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán is angry that Ukraine has not repaired a pipeline carrying Russian oil through Ukraine to Hungary.
The Druzhba pipeline was hit by a Russian missile, according to the Ukrainians.
The EU’s foreign affairs chief, Kaja Kallas, said last night that she could understand why repairing the pipe was not a priority when up to 80 percent of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has been damaged and its citizens are trying to survive through temperatures as low as -25°C.
“Each of you understands what fills Putin’s wallet with money and allows him to drag out this war. So there must be no place in the free world for Russian oil”, Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy said in an address to the European Parliament by video link this morning.
“It’s essential that we continue to work to unlock the 20th package of sanctions”, said Thomas Bryne this morning.
“I think that’s our legal, moral and indeed our selfish duty as well to protect all of us including Ukraine when we see the 20th package of sanctions.”
Hungary is also blocking a €90 billion EU loan to Ukraine to pay for public services as well as military equipment for the next two years.
Without the loan, Ukraine is due to run out of money at the end of March.
“This is a real financial guarantee of our security and our resilience and it must be implemented and I thank everyone who is working to make it happen”, Zelenskyy said.
So far Hungary is refusing to back down.
In a letter to the European Council published on social media this morning, Orbán wrote:
“There are no technical obstacles to restarting the oil transfer via the Druzhba pipeline to Hungary. It only requires a political decision by Ukraine.”
“I am not in a position to support any decision whatsoever favourable to Ukraine until they return to normality.”