Hungarian government initiates new NATO policy on Ukraine

The Hungarian government is initiating a new NATO policy on Ukraine for the protection of ethnic Hungarians in Transcarpathia, a memorandum issued on Tuesday shows.

The government said that despite the unprecedented level of political support and financial assistance provided by NATO, EU, IMF, World Bank and a large number of states, the Ukrainian government seems to lack the political will and the capacity to carry out the fundamental reform programs required by its international donors to overhaul the economic, political and social system of the country.

“The lack of progress in key reform areas and the continued assault of the state on minority rights have led to a dangerous level of instability. The failure to properly implement a credible modernisation agenda, aligned with the international commitments and criteria that Ukraine had previously agreed to, means that the already fragile country is becoming more vulnerable to domestic and external pressure,” the government said.

“Ukraine has come to pose a security challenge to its neighbours, including Hungary”, it added.

The government said that Ukraine was again ignoring a number of its international obligations and commitments while legislation aimed at curtailing minority rights was continuously introduced.

Kiev has embarked on a road of violating the already existing rights of minorities, it said.

The government cited the Ukrainian law on education as an example, stating that it is in breach of the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights, the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement and the 2017 NATO Annual National Programme.

“The Hungarian government has repeatedly expressed its concern over Article 7 of the new Law on Education that severely restricts the opportunities to learn and receive education in minority language.

Ukraine has failed to conduct thorough consultations with representatives of the minorities prior to adopting the law and to date, the Ukrainian government has not responded constructively to Hungary’s proposals to reach a settlement,” it said.