Foreign minister: Ukraine preparing ‘third blow’ against national minorities

Ukraine is preparing a “third blow” against its national minorities, with the president initiating parliament to approve a law on imposing sanctions on dual citizens in a priority procedure, Péter Szijjártó, Hungary’s foreign minister, said on Tuesday.

The first blow was an amendment to the education law, followed by a second blow which involved declaring the language law unconstitutional and planning its amendment, the minister told a press conference.

Ukraine is taking action against its national minorities “in an unprecedentedly despicable and pre-meditated” manner, Szijjártó said.

Ukraine’s president is working together with the parliament in gradually taking away the acquired rights of minorities, while pursuing a “campaign of lies” and pretending to be victims of geopolitics, he added.

Although the country aspires to become a NATO member state, the new legislation would declare dual citizens of Ukraine and a NATO country a risk to national security, Szijjártó said, adding that

“no Transcarpathian Hungarian can be considered a risk to Ukraine’s national security.”