Zelensky "counting on results" in dialogue with Hungarian government

At the team level, we are maintaining an active dialogue with Hungary’s new authorities, and there are prospects for a constructive reset of relations – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on X, and continued by saying:

“The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and other government officials are preparing for a format of bilateral consultations with Hungary – I am counting on results.”

Ahead of Monday's meeting of his cabinet, Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar had informed António Costa, President of the European Council that technical-level consultations had begun with the Ukrainian side "with a view to securing legal guarantees as soon as possible for the linguistic, educational, and cultural rights of the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia." At a press conference following the cabinet meeting, Magyar said that this was a prerequisite for Hungary potentially agreeing in June to the opening of the first chapter of Ukraine's EU accession.

He also indicated that once the situation of the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia is resolved, he would be ready to meet with Volodymyr Zelensky in Berehove. He later stated that if Ukraine would like to join the European Union, it is essential that it resolve the situation of the Hungarian minority.

Also on Monday morning, Hungarian Foreign Minister Anita Orbán posted on her social media page that expert-level Hungarian-Ukrainian consultations were beginning on the regulation of the rights of the Hungarian community in Transcarpathia. She said that this was agreed upon over the weekend during a telephone conversation she had had with Andrii Sybiha, and added that representatives of the Hungarian community in Transcarpathia would also be involved in the talks.

The Ukrainian leadership has said that all conditions are in place for resolving the issues surrounding the rights of the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia, an area on which no progress was made under Viktor Orbán's governance. Péter Magyar’s appointment was seen by many as an opportunity to move forward, although it came as a surprise that the Prime Minister initially demanded something which had already been guaranteed for the Hungarians in Transcarpathia for years. More about this topic is found in our previous article.