EU ambassadors approve Ukraine loan and new sanctions package

EU ambassadors representing member states have approved a 90 billion euro loan for Ukraine and a 20th package of sanctions against Russia at the Coreper level. These measures are currently undergoing a written procedure for final adoption by the Council, which is expected to conclude tomorrow afternoon. The Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union facilitated these discussions. The approval follows recent political shifts in Hungary, which had previously blocked such decisions requiring unanimity. With the change in Hungarian leadership, the country has shown increased willingness to cooperate on EU financial and sanctions policy. This development enables the EU to finalize the funding and restrictive measures. Simultaneously, news reports indicate that the Druzhba oil pipeline has resumed operations after being suspended since January.