EU leaders say Viktor Orbán’s veto on the Ukraine loan is “unacceptable” — yet it’s being accepted without consequences. In fact, the EU has offered to pay for the repairs of the Druzhba pipeline. My question to António Costa ⬇️

France has intervened another vessel of Russia’s “shadow fleet”, just as the US further eases sanctions. “The war involving Iran will not deflect France from its support for Ukraine,” says President Emmanuel Macron.

Viktor Orbán's veto on the €90 billion loan for Ukraine triggers absolute fury and pushes EU rules to the breaking point. "Nobody can blackmail the European Council," said António Costa, whose authority is under threat. Final piece of the EU summit.

#EUCO latest: the summit is over.

#EUCO latest: EU leaders call for a "moratorium on strikes against energy and water facilities" in the Middle East and urge "de-escalation and maximum restraint". They also express readiness to secure the Strait of Hormuz "once the conditions are met", meaning once hostilities end.

🚨 Just in: the United States ​has issued ‌a new general ​licence allowing ​the delivery and ⁠sale ​of Russian-origin ​crude oil and petroleum products ​loaded ​on tankers as of ‌March ⁠12, @reuters.com reports citing the ​US ​Treasury ⁠Department. A new win for Vladimir Putin.

Ukraine is "ready" to reopen the debate on the reparations loans, Finance Minister Sergii Marchenko tells @euronews.com. "We really think that it's fair enough to expect that Russia should pay for the damages they've done in Ukraine. That's why no doubts from my side."

EU leaders have ended their discussion on the Middle East. As expected, they didn't commit to any concrete measures to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, fearing that doing so would drag them into the conflict. France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands are willing to contribute once hostilities end.

Quite a picture from AP: Viktor Orbán watches from outside the main table as Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks to EU leaders via video link.

New: the UK, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Japan say they are ready to "contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage" through the Strait of Hormuz. "Maritime security and freedom of navigation benefit all countries."

Confirmed: the European Council will not reopen the discussion on Ukraine. Leaders give up today. They realise there's no point in trying to convince Orbán to lift his veto three weeks before the Hungarian elections.

EU leaders have adopted joint #EUCO conclusions on Ukraine without Hungary and Slovakia. This means the vetoes on the €90 billion loan for Ukraine and the 20th package of sanctions against Russia remain firmly in place.

EU leaders have finished their discussion on Ukraine. António Costa criticised Viktor Orbán's veto, saying "this kind of behaviour is not acceptable, and it violates the principles of good faith and of sincere cooperation enshrined in the Treaties", per an EU official.

Slovakia and Hungary harshly criticise the European Commission for excluding their experts from the inspection to the Druzhba pipeline. “Their exclusion raises fundamental questions regarding the credibility and objectivity of any conclusions,” they say.

Rob Jetten appears to be popular at his first EU summit.

Friedrich Merz and Pedro Sánchez meet for the first time since Donald Trump threatened a trade embargo against Spain in front of the German chancellor.

Sánchez raises the alarm. "Unfortunately, there are political groups, there are governments that are using this crisis, this rise in electricity prices, to undermine, question and try to weaken climate policies."

Pedro Sánchez says the US war on Iran is "illegal". "Europe is based on the principles of multilateralism, therefore, on shared, not unilateral, decisions, on international law, on peace, on respect for peaceful coexistence between nations and between societies."

Kaja Kallas takes a swipe at Viktor Orbán: "I guess, you know, in the time of elections, people are not that rational."

Viktor Orbán vows at #EUCO to keep his veto on the €90 billion loan for Ukraine until oil flows back through the Druzhba pipeline. "We are ready to support Ukraine when we get our oil, which is being blocked by them. Until then, there is no decision that is favourable for Ukraine."

Rob Jetten defends the ETS at #EUCO: "Let me be clear. The ETS system was crucial to speed up the transition in Europe. And without the ETS system, we would now be importing billions and billions of fossil fuels from outside of Europe."

De Wever on Trump's request to reopen the Strait of Hormuz: "For now, I can tell you that Belgium has no intention to get implicated in the war on Iran. None whatsoever."

Bart De Wever at #EUCO: "Belgium wants to keep supporting Ukraine 100% and keep pressure on Russia very high. What I said is that I don't think it's normal that we're financing a war, but we're not represented at the negotiating table.

Here we go: EU leaders gather in Brussels to challenge Viktor Orbán's veto on the €90 billion loan for Ukraine. Also on the agenda: the war in Iran, high energy prices, Buy European, migration, trade and the multilateral system. Follow our live blog.

Kaja Kallas: “The execution of a Swedish citizen by the Iranian regime is a brutal act of senseless violence and we condemn it. The European Union continues to call on Iran to halt all executions and to abolish capital punishment.“

Fancy a packed EU summit? Hungary's veto on the €90 billion Ukraine loan, the spiralling war in the Middle East and high energy prices are set to dominate the talks on Thursday. But there's more – much more. Here's your essential curtain-raiser.

Sweden confirms that a Swedish national was executed in Iran earlier today. The individual had been held captive since an arrest in June 2025. "The death penalty is an inhuman, cruel and irreversible punishment," says Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he has a “bad feeling” about the war in the Middle East because Ukraine is left without the weapons it needs, Russia makes more money from higher energy prices and the US pushes aside peace talks. “For Putin, a long war in Iran is a plus”

Ursula von der Leyen will visit Australia from March 23 to 25 to conclude an EU-Australia free trade agreement.

As part of a temporary easing of sanctions placed on Russia, the United States is allowing ships and companies connected to Iran’s regime to transport and sell Russian oil on the open market.

A sanctioned Russian tanker loaded with LNG is drifting out of control in the Mediterranean with no crew on board and a gaping hole in one side. Italy is warning of a "serious risk of a major ecological disaster".

Donald Trump now says he does not need the help of Western allies to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. It comes after Western allies roundly rejected his call for help.

Ukraine has accepted the technical and financial support of the European Union to repair the Druzhba pipeline and lift Hungary's veto on the €90 billion loan. A fact-finding mission is already being prepared and could take place imminently. Full story.

Dubravka Šuica speaks out: "We are not in line with some of the Board of Peace's rules of procedure, with the scope and with different issues, so we are not members." But she doesn't rule out attending future meetings, she tells @maredgwyn.bsky.social.

The EU rejects Donald Trump's request to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz and says "Operation Aspides" will remain focused on the Red Sea. "This is not Europe's war, but Europe's interests are directly at stake," Kaja Kallas said.

For those wondering why Sean Penn skipped the Oscars.

The CDU and CSU groups in the European Parliament appear to be cooperating more closely with the AfD and other far-right parties than was previously known, according to a new investigation by DPA. A group chat shows active and direct discussions to harden migration rules.

To put things in perspective, the European Commission has spent the last four years calling on member states to stop all purchases of Russian fossil fuels. Now, it’s asking Ukraine to accelerate the repairs of Druzhba so that Hungary can resume purchases of Russian oil.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy says European pressure to repair the Druzhba pipeline as a way to lift Hungary's veto on the €90 billion loan amounts to "blackmail". "They are forcing me to reinstate Druzhba," he said. "I told our friends in Europe that this is called blackmail."

Now confirmed: The EU has renewed its sanctions against Russian individuals and entities for another six months. The rollover happened hours before the sanctions were due to expire on 15 March. Hungary and Slovakia pushed their demands until almost the very end.

Will Orbán lift his veto before the elections? Brussels wants to know

The Commission's formal proposal for a fact-finding mission to Druzhba opens the door for a compromise before 12 April. But many officials and diplomats believe Orbán has no incentive to lift his veto during a brutal re-election campaign that's fundamentally based on opposition to Zelenskyy.

The burning question in Brussels now: Will Viktor Orbán lift his veto on the €90 billion loan to Ukraine before or after the Hungarian elections of 12 April? My weekend read on where things are now and what might happen next.

The European Commission insists “this is not the time” to relax sanctions on Russia, describing it as “the biggest beneficiary” of the war in the Middle East. “All EU sanctions remain in place and the respective enforcement remains in place.”

The European Commission says Poland's SAFE plan is "very strong and well prepared", and disbursements can start as soon as April if the loan agreement is signed. "Time is of the essence," a spokesperson says. "Member states that receive an envelope from us is because they have requested the money."

New: Iran’s Ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Ali Bahreini, tells @euronews.com that any military base “used to attack Iran”, including those on European territory, could be targeted as the war in the Middle East continues.

Barely two days after G7 leaders “reaffirmed their unity and their determination to maintain sanctions against Russia”, the United States temporarily lifts sanctions on Russian oil that’s currently at sea, allowing it to be shipped to buyers around the world.

Explosive combination for Europeans: - Russia earning higher energy revenues - US quickly depleting military arsenal - Gulf countries going after air defence - Ukraine struggling to access weapons - Peace talks pushed to the back

Polish drama: President Karol Nawrocki has vetoed the legislation that will allow the country to access its €43.7 billion SAFE programme, arguing it will give Brussels too much control over the Polish army. Donald Tusk's goverment insists it has a Plan B to access the EU funding.

Full story: the European Commission asks Ukraine to allow an inspection of the damaged Druzhba pipeline. The Commission has no track record in fact-finding missions of this kind and needs Kyiv’s permission to visit the site. It’s a new attempt to lift Hungary’s veto.