Hungary's Conditional Support for Ukraine's EU Accession Hinges on Minority Rights Agreement
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar announced a comprehensive agreement with Ukraine regarding the rights of ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine's Zakarpattia region. This agreement addresses linguistic, educational, cultural, and political rights for the approximately 100,000 ethnic Hungarians residing there. As part of the deal, Hungary will support the opening of the first negotiating cluster in Ukraine's EU accession talks, provided these measures are incorporated into Ukrainian law and its EU action plan. This development marks a significant step in Ukraine's EU membership bid, which has been stalled for two years due to Hungary's veto. However, the agreement does not eliminate Hungary's veto power entirely, as a national referendum in Hungary will ultimately decide Ukraine's accession once all negotiation chapters are completed.