Hungary reacts to Ukrainian resolution condemning Soviet atrocities against Hungarians in Transcarpathia

The Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a response to the statement adopted by the Ukrainian parliament on Thursday. The Ukrainian resolution condemns the atrocities committed against Hungarians in Transcarpathia during and after World War II, and is an important gesture toward Hungary, which is still blocking Ukraine’s EU accession process.

In a statement released on Friday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its gratitude for Ukraine’s move. “Today’s decision by the Ukrainian parliament is a fitting tribute to the memory of the victims and an important step towards confronting the Soviet past and uncovering the truth about these events", the statement reads. They added that Hungary also strongly condemns all forms of ethnic discrimination and persecution and stands ready to cooperate both in uncovering the past and in honoring the memory of the victims.

The Ukrainian parliament adopted the statement on Thursday without any votes against; in it, Ukraine officially recognizes and condemns the crimes committed by the Soviet military administration in Transcarpathia between 1944 and 1946.

According to the statement, Ukraine, “as a democratic state that recognizes the rule of law and condemns all manifestations of totalitarianism, considers it its duty to officially acknowledge the fact of the mass repression committed by the Soviet military administration against the civilian population of Hungarian nationality between 1944 and 1946, known as “malenykij robot,” as well as the oppression committed against the ethnic German population of Transcarpathia, and considers these crimes committed by the totalitarian communist regime.”

The declaration states that memorial plaques will be erected, academic research will be organized, and educational programs will be implemented in honor of the victims of Soviet oppression in Transcarpathia.

As we reported on Thursday, Ukraine’s EU accession process has been stalled because Hungary continues to block the screening reports for negotiation clusters 2 and 3. Regarding this, Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Orbán said that they do not support Ukraine’s fast-track accession under any circumstances, and are now waiting for the Ukrainians to implement the agreement on the rights of the Hungarian minority negotiated in June. As she said, the Ukrainian parliament must adopt the legislative amendments which guarantee the rights of the Hungarian minority in the areas of education, culture, and political representation.

The agreement concerning the Hungarian minority in Ukraine was a prerequisite for Hungary consenting to the launch of Cluster I, and if the legislative amendments to which Ukraine has committed do not take place in 2026 and 2027, the implementation of Cluster I will automatically be halted.