Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar could meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in June if the two nations finalize an agreement regarding Hungarian minority rights, according to a report by Reuters on May 20.
Magyar struck an optimistic tone regarding a resolution to the lasting dispute , which remains a key hurdle for Kyiv’s European Union accession hopes, Reuters wrote.
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The remarks were made during Magyar’s diplomatic visit to Poland, a trip that seeks to reset Budapest’s relationship with the bloc. Ties between Hungary and the EU were severely strained under his predecessor, Viktor Orbán, due to Orbán’s hostility toward Ukraine and his pursuit of warm relations with Russia, Reuters reports.
While the new Hungarian leader has adopted a significantly less confrontational approach toward Kyiv, Reuters notes that Magyar still considers the protection of native language rights for the roughly 150,000 ethnic Hungarians living in Ukraine to be a prerequisite. Progress on this issue is essential before Budapest formally agrees to Ukraine joining the European Union.
Expressing hope that the negotiations will conclude successfully, Magyar told reporters that a meeting with Zelenskyy could take place in early June in Berehove (Beregszász), a western Ukrainian town with a majority Hungarian population. Foreign ministers from both countries confirmed that online consultations to draft the agreement began on May 20.
Energy diversification also emerged as a central theme of the visit, with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk offering Warsaw’s assistance to help Budapest end its reliance on Russian energy, according to Reuters.
A source familiar with the matter told Reuters that Poland plans to offer Hungary access to US liquefied natural gas (LNG) through a new terminal in Gdansk scheduled to open in 2028.
Despite Poland’s motivation to expand its LNG infrastructure and open new revenue streams in central Europe, Magyar expressed reservations about the current costs. In a May 19 interview with broadcaster TVN24, cited by Reuters, he stated that the price of LNG is not yet competitive enough, suggesting that a lower transit fee or EU intervention is necessary to make the gas economically viable for Hungary.
The proposed meeting follows the start of technical consultations between Budapest and Kyiv over an 11-point plan addressing the rights of ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine’s Zakarpattia region. Under former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Hungary blocked the opening of Ukraine’s EU accession talks, citing these minority rights disputes.
Péter Magyar’s administration has formally engaged with Ukrainian officials to negotiate the required linguistic, educational, and cultural frameworks necessary to lift the veto. Magyar recently stated that European Council President Antonio Costa also affirmed that progress on the minority issue must precede further steps in Ukraine’s EU integration.
Ukrainian officials have confirmed their readiness to address the 11-point plan to fulfill the requirements for advancing accession negotiations.
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