President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on Monday that delays in approving a €90 billion ($103 billion) European Union loan could jeopardize Ukraine’s preparations for the winter season.
Speaking at a press conference, Zelensky said large-scale work to protect critical infrastructure was scheduled to begin on April 1 but has been slowed due to a lack of funding.
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Energy protection plan at risk
Zelensky said Ukraine has already approved a plan to safeguard energy and water infrastructure, including both physical protection and expanded air defense coverage.
The total cost of the program is estimated at $5.1 billion.
“We expected this amount to be fully or partially covered by these funds,” Zelensky said.
He warned that preparations for winter are a long-term process that must begin as early as possible, adding that delays in financing directly reduce Ukraine’s ability to complete the work before colder months.
Funding gap delays key projects
According to Zelensky, the absence of EU funds has prevented a full-scale rollout of construction and protection efforts.
“We must start building from April 1… but this is not happening on a large scale because there is no funding,” he said.
Ukraine has secured funding for salaries, pensions and military needs, but the main risks remain tied to infrastructure resilience, particularly in the energy sector.
Political deadlock in EU
Zelensky said European leaders must resolve the issue of releasing the first €45 billion tranche of the loan.
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“We can talk a lot about supporting Ukraine and defense. But at the same time, the money for that support is blocked,” he said.
The loan remains stalled due to a procedural dispute within the EU, with Hungary reportedly blocking the decision.
Budapest has linked its approval to the restoration of Russian oil supplies via the Druzhba pipeline, which was damaged in a Russian attack earlier this year.
Politico reported on March 19, that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is on a collision course with the European Union after threatening to torpedo a €90 billion loan for Ukraine, a move officials say could trigger a post-election crackdown on Budapest. According to the report, EU leaders face a dilemma: push ahead with the Ukraine loan and risk a public veto showdown with Orbán, or delay the package and risk delaying aid to Kyiv at a critical moment.