Niall O'Connor reporting from Kyiv

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY HAS hit out at Viktor Orbán for blocking a €90 billion EU loan to Ukraine, just days before Hungary goes to the polls in a tense general election. 

The Ukrainian President, speaking at a meeting of European Union foreign ministers in Kyiv, spoke about the Hungarian prime minister without naming him.

Other EU leaders were outraged with Orbán after he used his country’s veto to block the planned loan at a summit meeting earlier this month. He had previously greenlit the funding, but changed his position due to damage to a pipeline through Ukraine which has disrupted the flow of oil to his country and neighbouring Slovakia. 

France’s Emmanuel Macron called the move “unprecedented” while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz slammed it as “a gross act of disloyalty”.

Orbán is to contest a general election next month as the opposition look to depose the premier, who has been criticised for his closeness to Russia. 

The absence of the EU loan puts Ukraine’s finances under pressure – but Zelenskyy yesterday said that the veto would not lead to his government halting payments to soldiers and other state employees.

Ireland’s Helen McEntee is amongst the minister’s attending this week’s meetings in Kyiv, alongside counterparts from Germany, Poland, Italy and elsewhere. 

As the ministers met this afternoon it was clear that the loan was the chief topic for discussion – with both Zelenskyy and the EU’s diplomatic chief, Kaja Kallas, mentioning it in their opening remarks.

Zelenskyy - who has been pressing for his country to be allowed join the EU – said the result of the war in his country will define the future of the European Union.

“As long as the blockage remains, the threat remains,” he said. 

“This is happening because one person in Europe is standing against all of Europe simply to please Moscow. 

“Everyone can see the evidence that this is nothing more than a deal with Moscow.” 

The Ukrainian President also said he was “grateful” to countries that were taking measures against the Shadow Fleet of Russian oil smuggling vessels.

The vessels – often aging ships in poor condition – have been used to evade Western sanctions in the years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. McEntee told The Journal last month that Ireland is considering boarding and inspecting Shadow Fleet vessels as they pass through the seas off Ireland. 

“Russian oil is what fuels this war, without oil revenues Russia cannot fight. We must continue to block all Russian and related tankers and we must ensure that Europe’s seas do not finance this war.

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“The sanctions must be strengthened and we are expecting a new EU sanctions package,” he added.

Zelenskyy said that his negotiators are ensuring that Europe is present and is part of talks to end the conflict. He said in doing this “Ukraine strengthens Europe”. 

But he cast a downbeat tone on the likelihood of the Putin regime to agree to a peace settlement.

“Russia shows no intention to make a reliable deal. I hope the United States will remain decisive and help bring Russia to a trilateral meeting and be present to make peace.”

Zelenskyy said there was a proposal for an Easter ceasefire and he is waiting to hear from Russia. He will speak with the US tomorrow about the possibility of achieving this and said he is “hopeful”. 

Ukraine has dispatched counter-drone experts to the Middle East to help counter the threat from Iran, and he said demonstrated his country’s ability to protect lives further from his own border.

“I say this not just out of pride, but this is about security. Ukraine’s defence is a real security guarantee for Europe so I propose we work together to modernise our defence.”