European Union And United States Imposes Sanction On Hungary For Blocking Ukrainian Aids.

Brussels/Washington DC; March 2026: US senators plans to introduce a bill imposing sanctions on Hungary as the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán have blocked a €90 billion loan to Ukraine. The bill is set to be introduced as early as this week. If passed, the so-called Block Putin Act would require US President Donald Trump to impose sanctions on Hungarian government officials involved in the procurement of Russian oil and gas and who seek to block aid to Ukraine.

The bill’s authors are Democrat Jeanne Shaheen and Republican Thom Tillis, who are co-chairs of the Senate’s NATO Observer Group. Both politicians have spoken out openly about Europe’s continued dependence on Russian energy resources. Thom Tillis emphasises that the US and its allies must remain united in supporting Ukraine’s efforts to cut off the revenue that fuels Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin’s war.

He adds that the bill held high-ranking Hungarian officials accountable while providing Hungary with a clear path to restoring relations with its allies by ending its dependence on Russian energy and ceasing to obstruct support for Ukraine

For her part, Jeanne Shaheen have criticised US Vice President JD Vance, who, according to media reports, plans to visit Hungary a few days before the parliamentary elections. She says it is unbelievable that Vice President Vance reportedly plans to visit Hungary to support a corrupt government that continues to fund the Russian war machine.

Shaheen adds that if the US wants to end the war in Ukraine, the Trump administration must apply the same standards to all its allies. She emphasises that no one, and especially Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, should go unpunished.

A congressional aide explains that it is up to the Trump administration to determine which Hungarian officials were involved in delaying aid to Ukraine and maintaining Hungary’s dependence on Russian energy resources.

On the otherside, the European Union (EU) has decided “not to rush” the approval of a loan plan for Hungary under the SAFE defense program. Hungary’s loan plan worth more than €16 billion has been frozen.

Officially, the European Commission insists that “the assessment is ongoing, and the Commission will approve Hungary’s plan when it is ready”. However, the situation is tied to Hungary’s veto on providing Ukraine with a €90 billion loan.

“It is difficult for the European Commission to agree to billions of euros for Viktor Orbán when he is violating the principle of ‘sincere cooperation’ and blocking funding for a country at war with Russia,” an unnamed EU diplomat told journalists.

According to the report, the final straw leading to the freeze of the loan plan was the stance of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who confirmed at the latest EU summit that he was blocking the loan for Ukraine, at a time when Hungary is highly interested in SAFE funds.

The European Union is also dissatisfied that Hungarian authorities are blocking the adoption of the 20th package of sanctions against Russia, which was planned to be approved by the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Today’s bilateral development involving both the EU & United States came when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had stated yesterday (26th March) that unblocking a €90 billion EU loan is critically important for Ukraine and its defense capabilities. Without the funding, the army and drone production will suffer. “Providing Ukraine with the loan is a position agreed by all EU leaders at the end of 2025. The alternative to this step is now a question for the European Union”, Zelensky have said.

He noted that Ukraine would be grateful if EU leaders managed to unblock the loan. If it is not unblocked, Kyiv hopes for an alternative that would allow it to receive the funds; otherwise, the Ukrainian army will be underfunded.

“Production of drones will be underfunded, long-range drones, interceptor drones, as well as air defense systems, because we allocate funds from there for both European air defense systems and American PAC-3 missiles”, the Ukrainian President added. The head of state stressed that this is a risk for everyone, for European security. “I believe there will be no collapse, and Europeans will resolve this issue as well”.

Hungary’s decision to block the Ukrainian aid had been further escalated by Slovakia who had threatened to block a loan to Kyiv following Hungary on March 21st. According to the media, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico expressed support for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who is blocking the €90 billion loan to Ukraine.

The Slovak premier noted that Slovakia could also take similar action in the future to block financial assistance. He also called for changes in EU leadership, criticising European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, suggesting that leaders of major countries, such as French President Emmanuel Macron, should play a leading role in the EU.

The Slovak Prime Minister accused Ukraine of halting operations on the Druzhba pipeline, which stopped Russian oil shipments to Slovakia and Hungary on January 27. According to him, restoring supply depends entirely on Volodymyr Zelensky’s decision. “I will not let Zelenskyy pull me by the nose. You can’t just say, ‘Robert, you’re unpopular in Kyiv, so come visit me.’ I am not a suicide”, Fico said, explaining his refusal to visit the Ukrainian capital. He also warned that the fuel crisis would drive up food prices but rejected responsibility for his government, calling it a consequence of the global situation.

On March 19th, an EU leaders’ summit took place in Brussels, with the aid to Ukraine as a key topic. However, negotiations on the €90 billion loan effectively failed, as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán did not lift his veto. Following the summit, Robert Fico said that leaders “spent all day talking about Ukraine” but made no progress on restoring Russian oil supply through the Druzhba pipeline.

Prior to March 19th, on February 27th, Zelenskyy and Fico spoke over phone amid energy disputes, during which Ukraine’s leader invited the Slovak premier to Kyiv to discuss outstanding issues, but no agreement on a visit was reached.

Suvro Sanyal – Associate Editor, Team Maverick.