Zelensky, Magyar may meet in coming months — Politico
Budapest's announcement of talks with Kyiv regarding the rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine signals that Hungary will likely support the start of formal EU membership negotiations in the coming weeks, and a meeting between the two leaders may take place in the coming months.
According to Ukrinform, Politico stated this in an article, citing diplomats and EU officials.
Under former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Hungary had blocked progress on Ukraine's EU membership bid. Now, with Péter Magyar in power, that obstacle may finally disappear as Budapest moves closer to adopting mainstream EU policy.
Politico notes that Magyar has made restoring ties with Brussels a top priority, aiming to unlock billions of euros in EU funds frozen over rule-of-law concerns. However, lifting Hungary's longstanding objections to Ukraine's EU membership "comes at a political cost," according to a senior EU official involved in accession talks.
"Magyar may be Orbán's fiercest rival, but the new PM is also a 'Hungary first' politician. That includes skepticism about embracing Ukraine's membership in the EU. During a news conference on Monday, Magyar insisted that Hungary would not approve Kyiv's bit unless the minority issue is solved," Politico writes.
This means that Hungarian Foreign Minister Anita Orbán's announcement of expert-level talks on the rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine is significant. "The relationships are in a new phase," added a senior diplomat briefed on the negotiations, who also suggested a meeting between Zelenskyy and Magyar could happen in the coming months.
The publication reports that both Ursula von der Leyen and António Costa raised the issue of Ukraine's EU membership bid during phone calls with Magyar shortly after his election. According to the same diplomat, von der Leyen wants the membership issue resolved as quickly as possible, ideally before the EU leaders' summit in June.
This has raised hopes among Kyiv's strongest supporters that a decision to open the first negotiation cluster could be made as early as next week.
However, officials from the European Council urged caution regarding the prospects of such an accelerated timeline. One EU official, speaking anonymously, told Politico that the idea of opening the first cluster during next week's General Affairs Council meeting was somewhat optimistic.
A senior EU official added: "I really think there is a chance to open the cluster one, but it will be very tight."
As Ukrinfrom previously reported, Hungary's new Prime Minister Péter Magyar informed António Costa during a phone call on Monday, May 18, that negotiations had begun with the Ukrainian side regarding legal guarantees for the Hungarian community in Zakarpattia.
Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine