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4w ago

Ukraine and Hungary Open Talks on Minority Rights

Hungary's backing for opening EU negotiation chapters hinges on legal guarantees for Zakarpattia's Hungarians.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha makes a statement during a meeting with Moldovan Foreign Minister Mihai Popsoi and Secretary General of the Council of Europe Alain Berset ahead of the 135th Session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe at the Palace of the Republic in Chisinau, Moldova, May 15, 2026. REUTERS/Vladislav Culiomza/File Photo
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha speaks with the media as she arrives for a meeting of EU foreign ministers at the European Council building in Brussels, Monday, May 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Marius Burgelman)
Hungary's nominee for Foreign Minister Anita Orban attends a parliamentary confirmation hearing, in Budapest, Hungary, May 11, 2026. REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo/File Photo

Overview

  • Kyiv and Budapest began expert-level consultations online on Wednesday, with Foreign Ministers Andrii Sybiha and Anita Orbán and Ukraine’s deputy prime minister Taras Kachka taking part.
  • Sybiha said his opening remarks covered three points, which were repairing bilateral ties, protecting minority rights, and advancing Ukraine’s EU talks.
  • Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar said he could meet President Volodymyr Zelensky in Berehove after the talks and that Hungary could support opening the first EU cluster once the minority issue is settled.
  • The talks focus on language, schooling, and cultural rights for the Hungarian community in western Ukraine, which could shape how children are taught and which languages local schools and public offices can use.
  • EU officials see momentum for opening negotiation clusters as soon as May and June, yet they call it conditional on concrete guarantees, while Magyar’s government courts Brussels and rebuilds ties with Poland to unlock frozen EU funds.