Overview
- EU leaders in Brussels condemned the Hungarian prime minister’s move as blackmail and a breach of trust that harms unity and credibility.
- Budapest conditioned lifting the block on the resumption of Russian oil flows through the Druzhba pipeline, accusing Kyiv of stalling repairs and declaring, “No oil, no money.”
- Proposed compromises at the summit, including EU financial support and expert teams to help repair the pipeline, failed to shift Hungary’s position.
- President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the summit by video and said Ukrainian envoys will meet U.S. counterparts on March 21 to re‑energize diplomatic channels.
- European diplomats say Ukraine can cover financing needs only until about May, and several officials link Budapest’s stance to Hungary’s April 12 election campaign.