Poland Urges EU to Quickly Release €90bn Ukraine Loan after Orbán Ousted

Poland’s Finance Minister Andrzej Domański says Putin cannot be allowed to win Russia’s war against Ukraine. Make us preferred on Google Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Poland’s Finance Minister Andrzej Domański.  PAP/Leszek Szymański   GO! Content Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Flip Make us preferred on Google Poland’s Finance Minister Andrzej Domański has called on the European Union to make a €90 billion loan available to Ukraine “as soon as possible” after Hungarian voters ousted nationalist Viktor Orbán, whose Russia-friendly government had blocked the funds. Orbán, who had long been at loggerheads with Brussels and Kyiv, lost power in Sunday’s parliamentary election after 16 years as prime minister, as the opposition Tisza party led by Péter Magyar swept to a landslide victory. Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official . Magyar, who is now poised to become Hungary’s next prime minister, has pledged to bring the country back into the European mainstream and undo Orbán-era policies that had strained relations with the EU. In an interview with CNN on April 14, Domański praised the election’s outcome. “Hungarian people have chosen Europe,” he said, adding that it would be easier to cooperate with the new government in Budapest. ‘We can’t allow Putin to win’ He also said a €90 billion EU loan to Kyiv, which had been blocked by Orbán, must be made available to Ukraine “as soon as possible.” “We need to support Ukraine. We just cannot allow [Russian President Vladimir] Putin to win this war,” Domański said.  Orbán had blocked the loan amid a dispute with Kyiv over the suspension of Russian oil supplies via the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline, which Ukraine says was severely damaged by a Russian strike in late January and requires time to repair. Other Topics of Interest Russia Suffering Severe Economic Losses Under Sanctions - Ukrainian Intelligence Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service said internal Russian assessments show mounting economic losses. The move was part of a broader pattern of vetoes the Hungarian right-wing leader used during his time in power to stall EU aid to Ukraine and to oppose energy sanctions on Moscow. Magyar has said that his government would not block the €90 billion loan. The funds are seen as vital to Ukraine’s efforts to cover its budget deficit, maintain public services, and meet defense needs over the next two years as the war with Russia continues.  Speaking at a news conference in Budapest on Monday, Magyar said that Hungary would maintain its opt-out from participating in the loan financially but would allow other EU members to move ahead. Magyar, who is set to take office in May, has also promised to end Hungary’s frequent use of the veto within the EU, favoring negotiations over the confrontational politics of the Orbán era. Domański cautioned that the new Hungarian government may face a difficult task in reversing Orbán-era policies, drawing parallels with Poland’s own experience. Poland’s pro-EU coalition, which took power in late 2023, has sought to reverse changes introduced by the previous right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) government.  However, PiS-aligned presidents have repeatedly stalled those efforts—first Andrzej Duda and now Karol Nawrocki. Domański said while PiS had spent eight years reshaping state institutions, Orbán had been in power for 16 years. “I expect it may be even more difficult for the new Hungarian government to introduce meaningful changes, but I am keeping my fingers crossed,” he said. Orbán’s landslide defeat handed Magyar a strong majority in Hungary’s 199-seat legislature, opening the door for an overhaul of a system that critics in the EU say subverted democratic norms. Magyar said on Wednesday that his government would suspend state media news broadcasts, pass a new media law, and ensure press freedom after his cabinet took power.  Critics say public media served as a government propaganda mouthpiece under Orbán’s Fidesz-led administration. See the original of this report by Ammar Anwer here.