Hungary has formulated a strict condition under which Ukraine's process of European integration could be automatically halted. This was stated by Hungary's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Anita Orbán, during an official speech in Budapest.

According to the minister, Budapest is no longer blocking the start of negotiations with Kyiv regarding accession to the European Union. However, this "green light" comes with strict limitations: the key factor for success will be Ukraine's fulfillment of obligations to protect the rights of national minorities, specifically Hungarians living in Zakarpattia.

Details of the Agreements Reached

As reported by RBC-Ukraine citing Radio Liberty, Kyiv and Budapest have already reached a bilateral agreement following several weeks of intensive consultations. The parties have agreed on a number of critically important issues, including:

  • the sphere of education;
  • public administration;
  • cultural policy;
  • the use of national symbols.

Anita Orbán emphasized that the inclusion of these agreements in the EU-Ukraine Action Plan on national minorities was a "major achievement" last week.

Automatic Stop Mechanism

The agreement has been included in the first negotiation cluster dedicated to fundamental rights and democracy, the opening of which is scheduled for June 15. The document contains a so-called "common benchmark".

The essence of the mechanism is simple and strict: if Ukraine fails to fully implement the reached agreements, the accession process to the European Union will stop automatically. For the Hungarian side, the implementation of these norms is a "fundamental condition" for Kyiv's further movement along the path of European integration.

Only the Standard Path

The Hungarian Foreign Minister also commented on the format of future membership. Budapest supports exclusively the standard EU enlargement process, which is based on real reforms and concrete results. The Hungarian side categorically does not support any alternative membership formats for Ukraine.

Recall that recently the parties held negotiations on issues of national minorities. Ukraine plans to fulfill part of the obligations by the end of the current year. Furthermore, Kyiv continues preparations for a possible meeting between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Mártonfy.