- April 4, 2026
- 3:17 pm
- World News
The war in the Middle East, US pressure on allies, energy risks, and the prolonged Russian-Ukrainian confrontation have suddenly converged at one point. This point is the 90 billion euros that the European Union promised Ukraine for 2026–2027, but still cannot fully unlock due to Hungary’s resistance.
For Kyiv, this is no longer a matter of political irritation or another dispute within the EU. It’s about money, without which Ukraine risks facing serious underfunding of the army, defense industry, and key budget expenditures. For Israel and the entire region, this story also matters because the weakening of Ukraine, increased oil pressure, and the growing role of Iran in the global agenda have long become part of one big crisis.
Why these 90 billion euros have become a matter of survival
The decision to allocate a 90 billion euro aid package to Ukraine was made by the European Union back in December last year. At that time, European leaders were unable to agree on the use of 140 billion euros of frozen assets of the Russian Central Bank, which are held in the Belgian depository Euroclear. As a result, Brussels took a different path and approved a new credit mechanism for 2026–2027.
The plan looked like a forced but workable compromise. Already at the beginning of April, Kyiv expected to receive the first payment. By the end of 2026, Ukraine expected 45 billion euros, of which 16.7 billion were to go to budget support, and another 28.3 billion to finance the defense-industrial potential. In other words, most of this money was needed not for beautiful reporting, but for weapons, production, and maintaining the country’s resilience during the war.
The problem is that the European Union has once again become a hostage to its own construction. When the package was approved, Brussels did not actually provide a reliable mechanism to bypass a possible Hungarian veto. Meanwhile, this was exactly what should have been expected, considering Viktor Orban’s style and the approaching parliamentary elections in Hungary.
How Orban became Europe’s main brake
Back in February, Hungary blocked changes to the EU’s multiannual financial framework for 2021–2027, the adjustment of the Ukraine support mechanism, and the launch of procedures necessary to start the credit instrument. Two of these decisions were passed by qualified majority, but the main obstacle remained: a political launch is needed to start allocating funds, and Budapest continues to stall.
Against this backdrop, it is becoming increasingly noticeable that Europe is not just arguing with one inconvenient prime minister. It is facing a deeper crisis — the inability to quickly make vital decisions when not just diplomatic image, but real security of the continent is at stake.
In the middle of the article, it is especially important to speak directly and without illusions. NANews — News of Israel | Nikk.Agency have repeatedly shown that the Ukrainian direction, the Iranian threat, and energy instability have long been intertwined. What today seems like a purely European budget dispute may tomorrow affect a broader regional balance, including Israel’s interests.
Why the problem has long been not just about money
At first glance, it may seem that the dispute is only about funding. But in reality, the blocking of 90 billion euros is happening at a time when Kyiv simultaneously hears warnings about a possible pause in American arms supplies, and global markets are feverish due to the Middle East and the situation around the Strait of Hormuz.
If this uncertainty drags on, Ukraine risks being caught between two blows. On one side — the delay of European money. On the other — a possible reduction in access to American weapons. For Moscow, this is almost an ideal scenario, especially if oil and gas prices rise against the backdrop of the Middle Eastern war.
A separate role in this story is played by the topic of the ‘Druzhba’ pipeline. Formally, part of the dispute in the EU has long revolved around oil supplies and energy infrastructure issues. However, it is now clear that Budapest and Bratislava are using the situation more broadly, insisting on revising the sanctions regime and seeking favorable conditions for themselves. This means that it is not about technical details, but about an attempt at political bargaining at a time when Ukraine needs urgent support.
Europe still hasn’t decided how to bypass blackmail
The most alarming thing in this story is the absence of a ready backup scenario in Brussels. The European Commission indicates that as soon as Hungary lifts the veto, the money can be allocated quite quickly. But if this does not happen, the European Union will again find itself in the position of a structure that knows how to promise but transitions to action too slowly.
Within the EU itself, there are already calls to abandon the principle of unanimity and more often move to decisions by qualified majority. The question of possibly limiting the voting rights of countries that systematically block the union’s common policy is also being raised. But so far, all this remains more a subject of discussion than a tool that is already working.
For Ukraine, this is bad news. For Europe — even worse. Because if one leader can freeze a critically important aid package so deeply during a war, then the next blockade is just a matter of time.
What this means for Israel and the entire region
The Israeli audience today sees not only the Ukrainian front but also Iranian expansion, the threat to maritime routes, instability in energy markets, and growing nervousness around American foreign policy. Against this backdrop, European indecision ceases to be an internal problem of Brussels.
If Ukraine does not receive defense funds on time, and Russia simultaneously earns more against the backdrop of expensive energy resources, this strengthens the overall anti-European and anti-Western camp. Iran and Moscow in such a configuration gain additional room for maneuver. One pressures through war and oil, the other through terror, missiles, and regional destabilization.
Therefore, the story of the 90 billion euros is no longer just a dispute about budget and procedures. It is a test of the maturity of all of Europe. Is the European Union capable of acting quickly when an ally is threatened with a shortage of weapons, and the continent with a new wave of strategic pressure? Or will Brussels once again wait until the crisis becomes even more dangerous and costly for everyone?
Today, the answer to this question is important not only for Kyiv. It is important for Jerusalem, for European capitals, and for any state that still hopes that Western democracies can protect not only their values but also their own interests.