Orban and two other populist leaders, Slovakia’s Robert Fico and new Czech Republic prime minister Andrej Babis, opted out of the loan plan. [ Ukraine deal: EU leaders agree €90bn loan after frozen Russian assets plan failsOpens in new window ]A previous 26-1 divide in the room on Ukraine may become 24-3. The original proposal was to use €210 billion of Russian state assets, frozen in Europe by economic sanctions, to finance a €90 billion loan to Ukraine. That option, where the EU would borrow €90 billion on the markets, had been ruled out weeks ago. The summit broke up with an agreement for a €90 billion loan to fund Ukraine for the next two years.

Source: The Irish Times December 19, 2025 16:57 UTC