Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) expressed his satisfaction with the recent approval of the European Union’s loan package for Ukraine. Speaking on Thursday at the EU Summit in Cyprus, Merz stated, “I am very grateful that the European Union loan has now been finally approved”.
Adding context to the approval, the article noted that Hungary finally gave its consent to the €90 billion fund on Wednesday, ending a four-month period of obstruction. The outgoing head of government, Viktor Orbán, had tied his support to the repair of the Drushba pipeline in Ukraine. This timing was significant because President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Tuesday that the pipeline, previously damaged by Russia, had been fully repaired, thereby reopening the flow of Russian oil into Hungary.
Beyond the aid package, Merz used the opportunity to outline other topics scheduled for discussion at the EU Summit. “We will also talk about the conflict in Iran, and we will discuss the European Union’s multi-year financial framework. There are many topics” he said. Merz concluded by expressing his pleasure that they had the chance to discuss current global issues with the Council Presidency on Cyprus, thanking the leaders for their hospitality.
