Kuleba: I’ve never heard Hungary denying European prospects of Ukraine

“Hungary has never denied the European prospect of Ukraine. It is true that Hungary started to block the NATO-Ukraine Commission meeting following a certain dispute between us. However, inside the EU, Hungary supports sanctions against Russia which were imposed in response to aggression against our country. And it basically blocks nothing. And we have our bilateral track where we try to solve problems. But I do not see and I have never heard Hungary denying the European prospects of Ukraine,” Kuleba said in an interview for Radio Liberty.

Some EU member states are more skeptical and some are more optimistic about Ukraine's EU membership, he acknowledged.

“The EU’s position is being shaped by balancing their interests. But I do not know any EU country that would oppose Ukraine’s rapprochement with the EU and becoming an integral part of the wide European space,” Kuleba added.

As reported, relations between Ukraine and Hungary became more complicated after the Verkhovna Rada voted in favor of the law on education. The law, approved at second reading and as a whole on September 5, 2017, came into force on September 28. According to the document, the use of the state language in school education was expanded. Hungary expressed concern about the future of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine. Since then, Budapest has been blocking NATO-Ukraine Commission meetings and stressed its readiness to oppose Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic integration until the law is amended.

On January 16, Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Dmytro Kuleba stated that Ukraine was optimistic about the future of relations with Hungary and hoped to reach compromises in order to settle the situation taking into account the interests of both countries.

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