Hungary may block Ukraine’s accession to the EU if Kyiv fails to implement the agreements on the rights of Hungarians in Transcarpathia

Anita Orbán said this before the meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg, Radio Liberty reports.

According to the official, after several weeks of negotiations, Budapest and Kyiv reached a bilateral agreement on the educational, cultural, linguistic, and political rights of the Transcarpathian Hungarians.

“A major achievement last week was that this agreement was included in the Ukraine–EU Action Plan on National Minorities,” said Orbán.

She explained that the agreement forms part of the first negotiation cluster, which covers fundamental rights, democracy and the rule of law, and is due to be opened on 15 June.

“The agreement also includes a joint benchmark, which means that if Ukraine fails to implement this agreement or implements it only partially, the accession process within this cluster will automatically be halted,” the Hungarian minister stated.

Orbán stressed that for Hungary, the fulfillment and implementation of agreements on minority rights is a "fundamental condition" for Ukraine's European integration. She also added that Budapest no longer opposes the start of negotiations with Ukraine on joining the EU.

“Hungary is once again acting as a European country, defending its national interests,” the minister said, calling the current moment “Hungary’s return” to a common European future.

She also emphasised that Budapest does not support any alternative membership format for Ukraine. “We support the standard process based on the current enlargement methodology, which is based on results and reforms,” Orbán said.

The opening of the first negotiation cluster on the accession of Ukraine and Moldova to the EU is scheduled to take place on 15 June at the intergovernmental conference in Luxembourg, following the meeting of EU foreign ministers.

Ukraine's accession to the EU

All 27 EU member states gave the green light to start accession talks with Ukraine, though Hungary blocked the move.

Former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán consistently blocked any progress, but after 16 years in power, he lost the parliamentary elections.

Hungary’s new Prime Minister, Péter Magyar, said that Hungary and Ukraine managed to reach an agreement on expanding the rights of Hungarians in Transcarpathia. It is said that the Ukrainian government has committed to implementing the agreed measures into its legislation in the near future, which ensure “significantly broader” educational, cultural, linguistic and political rights for Hungarians in Transcarpathia.

Eventually, Hungary lifted its veto, allowing formal negotiations to begin on Ukraine and Moldova's accession to the bloc.