Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has held a meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing a Radio Liberty correspondent. According to the publication, this is the first in-person meeting between Zelenskyy and Magyar since the latter was elected Prime Minister of Hungary. According to a source in the Ukrainian delegation, the negotiations took place in a closed, one-on-one format without the participation of delegations.
Format and Key Topics of the Negotiations
As RBC-Ukraine writes, one of the topics of the bilateral talks was Ukraine's accession to the European Union, specifically the issue of closing the fourth and fifth clusters by the end of the current year. These very clusters are traditionally considered the most difficult in the European integration process, and their closure is viewed as an important milestone on the path toward Kyiv's further rapprochement with Brussels. The closed nature of the meeting was announced in advance by Magyar himself, who stated that the talks would take place without outsiders.
Rights of Hungarians in Transcarpathia and the Education Law
Following the meeting, Peter Magyar published a post on Facebook featuring a photo from his meeting with Zelenskyy. According to him, the parties discussed bilateral relations and the rights of national minorities. The politician welcomed the political agreement on strengthening the rights of Hungarians in Transcarpathia, the adoption of the education law, and the beginning of its implementation. In addition, Magyar expressed gratitude for the Ukrainian parliament's decision officially recognizing that crimes were committed against Transcarpathian Hungarians during the deportations and forced labor in 1944 and 1946.
Solidarity and Diplomatic Settlement
During the meeting, the parties agreed to continue consultations at the ministerial level. Magyar expressed solidarity with Ukraine over the ongoing Russian aggression and stated Hungary's readiness to contribute to a diplomatic settlement. Thus, despite previously public disagreements between the two capitals, the negotiations demonstrate a course toward strengthening cooperation and discussing a number of sensitive issues, ranging from European integration to the status of national minorities.
Context: Potential Unblocking of Ukraine's European Integration
The meeting takes place against the backdrop of reports that Hungary may soon unblock Ukraine's European integration process. Previously, Budapest often acted as a key "brake" in this process, so any signals of readiness to move forward on the clusters and extend ministerial consultations are perceived as a significant shift in bilateral relations. Thus, behind the public disagreements, observers note, lies practical work on specific agreements.
