The European Union's €90 billion loan for Ukraine will happen "one way or another", Ursula von der Leyen has said in a visit to Kyiv that was largely overshadowed by Hungary's last-minute decision to veto the financial programme.
"This word cannot be broken," the president of the Euroepan Commission said on Tuesday, referring to the agreement reached by the 27 EU leaders in December.
"We will deliver on the loan one way or the other," she said. "Let me be very clear, we have different options, and we will use them."
Von der Leyen spoke next to European Council President António Costa and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Costa called on Hungary to "immediately" lift its veto.
"When the European Council agrees and takes a decision, all member states need to cooperate to implement this decision," Costa said.
The dispute between Budapest and Kyiv involves the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline, which was severely damaged in late January in a drone attack attributed to Russia. Asked if his goverment would be willing to repair the infrastructure, Zelenskyy said: "To renovate for what? To lose (more) people? I think this is a very big price. That's it."
Follow our live blog below for the latest as Ukraine marks this grim milestone.
