General Discussion

The European Union issued preliminary approval on a $106 billion loan for Ukraine Wednesday, after Hungary lifted its months-long veto on the funds.

Most of the funding will go toward Ukraine's defense sector, which officials in Kyiv say is central to Europe's long-term security. The move may also signal a more constructive relationship with the bloc following the ouster of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán earlier this month.

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But on April 12, Orbán lost Hungary's parliamentary elections to center-right challenger Peter Magyar, who took a more supportive stance toward Ukraine during the campaign. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that the Druzhba Pipeline is now repaired and that Russian oil flows to Hungary and Slovakia have resumed.

The loan must still be officially approved by the EU after the EU ambassadors issued preliminary approval during a meeting on Wednesday, but with Hungary's veto dropped, no serious roadblocks remain.