Hungary lifts objections to Ukraine's EU accession path
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met in Brussels on Thursday and agreed to normalise relations, with Hungary withdrawing its long-standing opposition to Ukraine's European Union accession process. The breakthrough follows both sides reporting progress on protections for the ethnic Hungarian minority in Ukraine's Zakarpattia region, an issue that had previously blocked Ukraine's EU progress.
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Hungary and Ukraine have taken a significant step towards reconciliation after Prime Minister Péter Magyar and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held talks in Brussels on Thursday. Budapest announced it would cease blocking further advancement of Ukraine's European Union accession negotiations, marking a major shift after years of tension between the two countries.
Hungary's opposition had been a critical obstacle to Ukraine's EU integration, as the bloc requires unanimous approval from all member states at key stages of the accession process. The agreement comes after reported progress on the rights and treatment of the ethnic Hungarian minority living in Ukraine's Zakarpattia region, a dispute that had repeatedly stalled Kyiv's European Union ambitions.
The thaw represents a notable reversal following prolonged disagreements between Budapest and Kyiv over minority rights protection, energy policy, and Hungary's approach towards Russia since the outbreak of war. While other EU member states are likely to welcome this development as they seek to accelerate Ukraine's integration into the bloc, observers remain cautious about whether the agreement will endure given the substantial historical grievances between the two governments.
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