European Union leaders have accused Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of disloyalty and blackmail after he blocked a €90bn (£77bn) loan for Ukraine.
No oil = no money, Orbán said in a post on X after Thursday's summit in Brussels during which he refused to lift his veto, citing a feud over a damaged pipeline that transports Russian oil to Hungary.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz described Orbán's actions as a gross act of disloyalty, while European Council head António Costa called it blackmail.
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Orbán has fostered close relations with Russia, and he has made hostility toward Ukraine a prominent issue in the run-up to the elections on April 12.
Hungary relies heavily on Russian energy and Orbán accused Ukraine of hampering energy supplies by not repairing the Druzhba pipeline, which has been damaged by Russian airstrikes in January.
The meeting of EU leaders concluded with many expressing outrage at Orbán's decision to block the release of funds, with Macron and other leaders urging for the loan to be implemented soon.
Orbán's refusal to endorse the summit conclusions has led to further frustrations within the EU, highlighting a growing rift in the bloc regarding the response to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
