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Orban blocked the road to Kiev, Magyar signals commitment to Ukraine's EU accession
2026-05-18 15:06:52 / BOTA
Hungary's new government says it is open to engaging with Ukraine on its EU membership, according to several sources. Meanwhile, a technical dialogue with Kiev on the thorny issue of Hungarian minorities has been announced. Brussels is seeking a solution.
The Hungarian ambassador said in a meeting last week that Budapest is now ready to engage in Ukraine to achieve concrete results, as the new government of Péter Magyar begins technical discussions with Kiev on how to address the thorny issue of the Hungarian minority.
Under Viktor Orbán, Hungary blocked the opening of the EU accession process for Ukraine in the so-called first group, which covers key reforms essential for accession talks, including the rule of law and financial control.
Budapest and Kiev have long been at odds over the sizeable Hungarian minority living in Ukraine's western Transcarpathia region. This tension remains widespread in Hungarian society, even after the Hungarians' landslide victory ended Orbán's 16-year rule.
The previous Hungarian government, led by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, created an 11-point plan aimed at restoring rights for the Hungarian community in Ukraine. The implementation of these measures is still seen by Budapest as important for opening the first key chapter in Ukraine's EU accession process.
A first concrete sign that relations between the two countries may be improving emerged during a discussion between EU ambassadors last Wednesday, when the Hungarian diplomat said Budapest was ready to engage on the issue.
The ambassador also said that a merit-based methodology should be followed and that Hungary will pay special attention to the rights and legal framework of the Hungarian minority.
Magyar said on April 28 that he wants to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in early June to help “improve the situation” of ethnic Hungarians in western Ukraine. Magyar proposed holding the meeting in Berehove, a Ukrainian town in Zakarpattia Oblast that is considered the center of the local ethnic Hungarian community.
Zelenskyy met with the Hungarian community on April 9, 3 days before the Hungarian elections.
The EU has made it a key demand that Kiev adopt and effectively implement an ambitious action plan for minorities, which in Ukraine include not only Hungarians, but also Romanians, Poles and Bulgarians.
In March, the Ukrainian government announced the introduction of a national day to celebrate the Romanian language, as part of a broader effort to improve relations with Bucharest. Kiev's move was a response, as Romania already celebrates Ukrainian Language Day annually on November 9.
The issue of Ukraine's enlargement may be on the agenda of the next European Council meeting, where Magyar and Zelenskiy are also expected to meet on the sidelines of the meeting.
However, the office of Council President António Costa will only put Ukraine's accession on the agenda if concrete progress can be announced at that time towards the formal lifting of the Hungarian veto on the opening of accession talks.
On Monday, Péter Magyar shared details on Facebook of a phone conversation with President Costa, saying that Budapest had begun technical consultations with the Ukrainian government to guarantee the linguistic, educational and cultural rights of the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia.
"President António Costa informed me that he had made it clear to the Ukrainian president yesterday that any further steps must be preceded by respect for the rights of the Hungarian minority living in Ukraine," Magyar said.
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