Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar stated that his country is ready to permit and ensure the transit of Ukrainian grain through Hungarian territory. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing the Telex publication. According to Magyar, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the plenary session of the EU summit made a specific request to Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Hungary to allow the transportation of grain through their territories. The head of the Hungarian government emphasized that he sees no obstacles to fulfilling this request.
First Official Meeting Between Zelenskyy and Magyar
On October 16, 2026, the first official meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar took place. As journalists learned, the negotiations were held in a face-to-face format — not a single delegation joined them. The format of a personal conversation without the presence of accompanying persons became a notable diplomatic gesture, emphasizing the desire of both parties for a direct and open dialogue.
Grain Transit: Magyar Sees No Obstacles
During a conversation with journalists, Magyar shared that Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated during their private meeting that it would be a great help if corn could be transported to Western Europe by rail under seals. “I said that if it is just transit through the country's territory, then of course there are no obstacles to this,” Magyar emphasized. He also recalled that a few years ago there was a well-established transit procedure that subsequently ceased to operate, and expressed readiness to restore this mechanism.
EU Accession and Bilateral Relations
At the center of attention between Zelenskyy and Magyar at the meeting was the issue of Ukraine's accession to the European Union and the closure of the fourth and fifth clusters by the end of 2026. In addition, the parties discussed in detail the state of bilateral relations and issues related to the rights of national minorities on the territory of Ukraine. These topics reportedly occupied a significant part of the working time during the negotiations.
Recognition of Historical Events of 1944–1946
A separate item was the public statement by Magyar, who thanked the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine for the decision officially recognizing that crimes were committed against Transcarpathian Hungarians during deportations and forced labor in 1944 and 1946. This gesture by the Hungarian prime minister was regarded as an important step in the context of normalizing relations between the two countries and taking into account the historical memory of the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia.
