Novák finally approves Fedir Shandor as new Ukrainian ambassador to Hungary

The declaration of acceptance for Fedir Shandor was originally sent to the office of President Katalin Novák for approval in March, but it wasn’t signed until 8 August. ATV was the first to learn of the news from a source "close" to the office of the President of the Republic, and the information was later confirmed to the television by Katalin Novák's office.

“Today, the President signed a decision of consent on the appointment of the new Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Hungary.”

– the Communications Directorate of the President of the Republic told ATV.

In accordance with the usual procedure, the decision will now be forwarded to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for ministerial countersignature, as well as to the sending state through the usual diplomatic channels. Once Fedir Shandor is in Budapest and has handed over his credentials to the President of the Republic, the Presidential Decision will also be published in the Hungarian Official Gazette.

Why it took Katalin Novák five months to sign the acceptance letter remains unclear.

Radio Free Europe previously reported that in the case of an experienced diplomatic candidate, such a procedure is usually completed in one or two months at the most. However, at the end of June, the Foreign Ministry said the evaluation of the future Ukrainian ambassador’s request for an agrément was "still ongoing".

In mid-July, citing a diplomatic source close to the president, Index reported that Novák had not signed the acceptance letter for the new Ukrainian ambassador because Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had not been answering her calls for months. Shortly afterwards, however, it was announced that Novák had accepted the Ukrainian government's invitation to attend the forthcoming Crimea Platform meeting in Kyiv on 23 August.

Fedir Shandor is a professor at the National University of Uzhhorod, but he has been fighting in the 101st Transcarpathian Brigade since the war in Ukraine began. Last May, a powerful photo of him made headlines, as he was giving lectures to his students from the trenches, gun in hand, during breaks in the fighting. In his professional life, Shandor is a tourism expert and sociologist, and works on urban and regional projects.

In June, he gave an interview to Hvg, in which he said that 400 Hungarians are fighting successfully in the Ukrainian army, but 30 have unfortunately already died.