Closing summary
… and so on that note, it’s a wrap for today!
EU leaders have welcomed the end of diplomatic deadlock over a long-awaited €90bn (£78bn) loan for Ukraine, after the bloc finalised the agreement along with a 20th package of sanctions against Russia (13:47, 13:51, 13:53, 13:55, 14:48, 17:38).
The outgoing Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbán, has decided to skip the summit (14:08), with Péter Magyar set to take over next month (16:37).
The move comes after Russian oil started flowing through the Druzhba pipeline again with reported deliveries to Hungary and Slovakia, putting an end to months of tensions with Ukraine which delayed the adoption of the package (11:46, 12:05, 15:03).
The measures got signed off just in time for an informal EU summit in Cyprus, where leaders are also expected to talk about the EU’s mutual assistance clause, the Middle East, and the bloc’s future budget (17:29).
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EU formally approves €90bn Ukraine loan and 20th sanctions package against Russia
Brussels correspondent
EU leaders have welcomed the end of diplomatic deadlock over a long-awaited €90bn (£78bn) loan for Ukraine, after the bloc finalised the agreement along with a 20th package of sanctions against Russia.
After weeks of delay, the EU signed off on the loan on Thursday, in time for summit talks in Cyprus that are scheduled to begin in the evening and will include talks over a dinner with the Ukrainian leader, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Ursula von der Leyen wrote on social media: “We are on our way to Cyprus with good news.” The European Commission president welcomed both agreements, finalised after Hungary lifted its veto.
Von der Leyen said:
“While Russia doubles down on its aggression, we are doubling down on our support to the brave Ukrainian nation, enabling Ukraine to defend itself and putting pressure on Russia’s war economy.”
Hungary lifted its vetoes over the long-delayed loan and sanctions after a dispute over a damaged oil pipeline that traverses Ukraine came to an end.
Russian oil deliveries to Hungary and Slovakia resumed on Thursday, the Hungarian energy group MOL reported, after both countries – heavily dependent on Russian crude – dropped their objections to EU support for Ukraine.
Viktor Orbán, the Hungarian prime minister who was defeated by his conservative rival, Péter Magyar, earlier this month, will not take part in what would have been his final EU summit.
EU leaders will also discuss how to respond to surging energy prices and the wider ramifications of war in the Middle East, amid uncertainty over a definitive end to the conflict.
