The European Commission is laying the technical and legal groundwork to make the first payment to Ukraine under the €90 billion loan as soon as Hungary lifts its veto, hoping to shield the country's war-battered budget from painful cuts.
Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán is blocking the financial lifeline over an unrelated dispute with Ukraine regarding the Druzhba oil pipeline. Kyiv says the infrastructure is badly damaged and needs to be repaired after a Russian drone attack, while Budapest says it is deliberately shut down to influence the outcome of the elections on 12 April.
