Overview
- Hungary’s Viktor Orbán blocked the previously agreed 90‑billion‑euro EU credit for Kyiv, drawing what Chancellor Friedrich Merz called an unprecedented breach of member‑state loyalty.
- Leaders tasked the European Commission to present alternative ways to meet Ukraine’s urgent financing needs, with officials indicating Kyiv can cover costs until April and some floating the use of frozen Russian assets.
- The EU urged an end to attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz and on energy infrastructure, as France signaled possible defensive European support to secure navigation.
- To blunt price spikes, the Commission will assemble a short‑term toolbox including joint gas purchasing, temporary tax relief and, if needed, an emergency price cap, though supply is currently described as secure.
- Germany reiterated it will not join combat operations in Iran, while experts such as Veronika Grimm warned that a prolonged conflict risks higher inflation and food‑price pressures, especially for the Global South.