Hungary warns Ukraine's EU accession talks could be halted

According to the minister, Kyiv and Budapest reached a bilateral agreement on the rights of ethnic Hungarians in Transcarpathia after several weeks of negotiations. The agreements concern education, public administration, culture, and the use of national symbols.

"A major achievement last week was that this agreement was included in the Ukraine-EU Action Plan on national minorities," Orbán said.

Conditions for continuing the negotiations

The agreement became part of the first negotiation cluster on fundamental rights and democracy, which is being opened on June 15. The document contains a so-called common benchmark: if Ukraine does not fully implement the agreements, the accession process will automatically be suspended.

Orbán stressed that for Hungary, the fulfillment and implementation of the agreements on minority rights is a "fundamental condition" for Ukraine's European integration.

Budapest's position on accession

At the same time, the Hungarian minister emphasized that Budapest is no longer blocking the start of Ukraine's accession negotiations with the European Union.

She also stressed that Hungary supports only the standard EU enlargement process, which is based on real reforms and results. The Hungarian side does not support any alternative membership formats for Ukraine.

Kyiv and Budapest recently held talks on issues related to national minorities. The parties agreed to continue working within the previously agreed action plan, with Ukraine planning to fulfill part of its commitments by the end of this year.

In addition, Kyiv continues preparations for a possible meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar.