Agreement on 90 billion euros loan for Ukraine must be implemented without delay, - Macron

Macron urged to provide Ukraine with a loan of 90 billion euros

French President Emmanuel Macron believes that the €90 billion loan for Ukraine is a unanimous agreement among EU leaders, and therefore it must be implemented.

He stated this after the conclusion of the European Council summit on March 19, according to Censor.NET.

What is known?

In his view, there is no need for a "Plan B" regarding the €90 billion loan for Ukraine.

"For me, there is no Plan B, because Plan A must be carried out. The Council's credibility depends on it," Macron emphasized.

The French leader thanked Zelenskyy "for agreeing, in this context, to host a European Union mission in Ukraine to provide technical assistance and funding for the repair of the Druzhba oil pipeline, which was damaged by Russian strikes."

"The unanimous agreement reached by the European Council last December regarding a €90 billion loan to Ukraine must be upheld and implemented without delay, in accordance with the principles of sincere cooperation," Macron said.

The French president believes that "when heads of state and government agree on a decision, it must be implemented."

"Otherwise, it would, to some extent, undermine the very purpose of our exchange of views," Macron concluded.

The Blocking of Aid and the "Friendship" Issue

Financial aid to Ukraine is currently on hold due to the stance taken by Hungary and Slovakia, as unanimous support from all EU member states is required for its approval.

Budapest is making its approval contingent on the resumption of operations on the Druzhba oil pipeline, which supplies Russian oil to Hungary. This refers to the section damaged by a drone attack in January.

Russia's attack on the Druzhba oil pipeline

On January 7, a piece of infrastructure was damaged in Brody, Lviv region, as a result of a Russian attack. Naftogaz reported that the Russian military had attacked a critical infrastructure facility in western Ukraine. A fire broke out, and operations at the facility were halted.
According to the publication Enkorr, the facility in question is located in the city of Brody in the Lviv region and is connected to the Druzhba oil pipeline.
On February 12, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stated that Russian oil supplies via the Druzhba pipeline had been suspended since January 27 due to a Russian attack. He also said that Budapest was preparing to lodge a complaint regarding transit issues.
The governments of Hungary and Slovakia have announced a suspension of diesel fuel exports to Ukraine until Russian oil supplies resume via the Druzhba pipeline.
On March 11, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that a group of Hungarian citizens had entered Ukrainian territory without official status or scheduled official meetings.
President Zelenskyy stated that he is unaware of what the Hungarian delegation is doing in Ukraine.
Subsequently, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó accused Zelenskyy of lying and published a Hungarian diplomatic note indicating that Budapest had requested a meeting between Cepek and Ukrainian Minister Denys Shmyhal.
At the same time, the Foreign Ministry's note indicates that the Hungarian side did not coordinate its delegation's visit to the Druzhba oil pipeline with Ukraine and received proposals from Kyiv regarding alternative dates for the visit.