Ireland’s foreign minister Helen McEntee has just been speaking with reporters as she arrived at the meeting in Luxembourg, and she offered a neat summary of where we are on both issues.
On Ukraine, she said it was “really important as the EU that we make progress” on the loan and the related 20th package of sanctions against Russia to “exert as much pressure as possible on Russia.”
She said that talking to Ukrainian leaders it was clear “we are at that breaking point where that loan is absolutely essential.”
She also pointedly welcomed the new Hungarian government’s position on this, and said she hoped that “we will see the release of funds” soon.
On the Middle East, she said the joint Spanish, Slovenian and Irish initiative to ask for a debate on the association agreement was meant to send a clear signal that “we … need to uphold our fundamental values” in relations with associated countries.
“Israel has, since our last meeting, enacted a new law which essentially introduces the death penalty, but in particular penalises and specifically targets Palestinian people. It’s completely unacceptable, and so we have asked for a suspension of the Israeli agreement, and if not, then a suspension on the trade elements of the Israeli agreement.
We must be seeking to have this not just as a discussion here today at the council but that there would be some clear actions at the next council meeting.”
Again, she says that the result of the Hungarian election last week, “it is very clear that there has been a shift” there in terms of political signals coming from the new government.
This is not entirely unexpected and, as explained earlier, it is still hinging on the Druzhba pipeline restarting in the next 24 hours, but it definitely sounds like there are growing reasons for optimism among the EU’s most senior leaders.
Could the loan, agreed in December but held up by Hungary and Slovakia, be finally released to Ukraine in the next few days or weeks?
But it looks like there is some movement on Ukraine.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has just confirmed that she expects “some positive decisions tomorrow” on the €90bn loan.
“Ukraine really needs this loan and it is also a sign that Russia cannot outlast Ukraine. This is extremely important at this moment.”
For what it’s worth, it’s unlikely that any decisions on this will be actually made today on this – but the request for a focused debate on this marks growing concern among EU member states and mounting pressure on the EU to act more decisively.
Just as expected.
Spain’s foreign minister José Manuel Albares has just confirmed that Spain, Slovenia and Ireland have requested a discussion on suspending the EU’s association treaty with Israel at today’s meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers.
He said the process was about the EU’s “credibility” on all other issues, as the bloc is expected to stand “for the same principles” everywhere.
He said that if the EU is “not capable to say today to Israel” that it is expected to respect human rights and international law, and not make war a foreign policy tool, “we are going to lose that credibility.”
“We have to say the same thing that we say to Russia concerning Ukraine, and that we say in other scenarios, and since the last time we brought this same position, things have worsened,” he said.
“European Union has to say today very clearly to Israel that that change is needed. That’s not the right path, and that while Israel continues in that path of a permanent perpetual war, we will not be able to [run our relations] in the same way.”
He said that if suspending the association treaty in full is unacceptable for some members, the bloc should consider suspending at least the trade element of the deal.
EU foreign ministers are meeting in Luxembourg this morning to discuss the latest on Ukraine, Russia and the Middle East.
The ministers are awaiting an update on the Druzbha pipeline carrying Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia, which is understood to be close to being operational against after months of bitter disputes between Ukraine and the two countries.
Hungary’s outgoing prime minister Viktor Orbán suggested he would drop his country’s veto on the EU’s €90bn loan for Ukraine as soon as the oil starts flowing, which could happen this week. Slovakia is understood to be in the same position.
The issue is currently expected to be discussed by EU ambassadors on Wednesday, but could come up earlier. One to watch.
But the discussions will also focus on the situation in the Middle East, with the Lebanese prime minister, Nawaf Salam, joining the ministers to give an update on the regional security situation.
Spain, Ireland and Slovenia are among countries calling for closer scrutiny of Israel’s actions, including a more radical step of suspending the association agreement with the EU and imposing sanctions on violent Israeli settlers.
While substantial progress is unlikely to be made on this today as Orbán’s Hungary, a close Israel ally, continues to oppose any such move, the ministers will probably be looking at what could be possible at their next meeting once the government in Budapest changes.
EU foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, hinted yesterday that the position of Magyar’s government could be different, saying – without naming Hungary specifically – that there could be “a new approach” to the issue:
“Now this country [has recently] had the elections and will [soon] have a new government. I will not speak for the new government, but definitely I think we can look into all these policies and see whether they have a new approach.”
Lots for us to cover this morning.
I will keep an eye on all of that and bring you the latest here.
It’s Tuesday, 21 April 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.