Zelenskyy and Péter Magyar may meet in the coming months
The European Union believes that Budapest’s announcement of talks with Kyiv regarding the rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine could signal Hungary’s willingness to support the start of formal negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the EU.
EU diplomats and officials told Politico this.
The publication notes that during Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s tenure, Hungary remained one of the main obstacles to the progress of Ukraine’s application for EU membership.
Since Péter Magyar came to power, the situation may change, as Budapest is gradually aligning itself with EU policy.
Politico notes that Magyar has made restoring relations with Brussels one of his key priorities. He is seeking to unblock billions of euros in EU funds frozen due to issues with the rule of law.
At the same time, according to a senior EU official who took part in the membership negotiations, supporting Ukraine’s accession to the EU comes at a political cost for Magyar.
“Although Magyar is Orbán’s fiercest opponent, the new prime minister is also a politician who is primarily focused on Hungary’s interests. This includes scepticism regarding Ukraine’s EU membership,” Politico quotes the source as saying.
The article notes that during a press conference on Monday, Mádár stated that Hungary would not support Ukraine’s application unless the issue of the Hungarian minority was resolved.
Against this backdrop, the announcement by Hungarian Foreign Minister Anita Orbán regarding the start of expert-level talks on the rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine is seen as significant.
“Relations are entering a new phase,” said a senior diplomat familiar with the course of the negotiations.
The same diplomat also raised the possibility of a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar in the coming months.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa discussed Ukraine’s EU accession during telephone conversations with Mályi following his election.
According to the diplomat, Ursula von der Leyen is keen for the issue of Ukraine’s membership to be resolved as soon as possible, specifically before the EU leaders’ summit in June.
This has raised hopes among Kyiv’s supporters that a decision to open the first negotiation cluster could be taken as early as next week.
However, representatives of the European Council are urging caution regarding predictions. One European official, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that opening the first cluster during next week’s EU General Affairs Council meeting appears “somewhat optimistic”.
Another senior EU official added that there is a chance the negotiation cluster could be opened, but that it would be “very difficult” to achieve.
