Péter Magyar and Ukraine have become embroiled in a public diplomatic dispute after Budapest rejected claims that Hungary had joined the newly launched Carpathian Eight regional initiative. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha criticised the Hungarian government’s position as unnecessarily confrontational, while Magyar insisted that no sovereign country could be declared part of an international cooperation format without its consent.
The exchange unfolded on social media after Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar said in parliament on Monday that Hungary was not a member of the Carpathian Eight, or C8, launched by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy days earlier.
Sybiha described Budapest’s reaction as surprising and unnecessarily confrontational. He argued that the initiative was designed to strengthen regional development, cross-border relations and mutually beneficial investment.
Sybiha also criticised Budapest’s reaction to a separate cooperation agreement between Ukrainian and Hungarian energy companies.
Péter Magyar and Ukraine disagree over Hungary’s C8 status
The dispute centres on a fundamental question: whether Hungary ever actually joined the new regional format.
Zelenskyy announced the Carpathian Eight at its inaugural summit in western Ukraine on 18 September. Ukrainian officials described the initiative as bringing together Ukraine, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Czechia, Austria and Serbia. Its proposed areas of cooperation include security, energy, logistics, investment and cross-border economic development.
However, the Hungarian government says Budapest never agreed to become a member.
Hungary was represented at the meeting by Ádám Ceglédi, chargé d’affaires at the Hungarian Embassy in Kyiv, but the Foreign Ministry said his presence did not amount to Hungary joining the initiative.
Hungary also did not sign the declaration adopted at the summit. According to the ministry, the document was endorsed by Ukraine, Austria, Romania, Poland, Serbia and Slovakia. Czechia also did not sign.
Magyar told parliament that Hungary had received an invitation but had decided not to join.
In his response to Sybiha, he argued that declaring Hungary a member without prior agreement was unacceptable. He illustrated his point with a football analogy, saying it would be like someone forming a team in a neighbouring village and then informing another person that they were already a member and expected to bring the ball.
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Ukrainian foreign minister invokes the Orbán era
Sybiha went further in his criticism, linking the current dispute to Hungary’s foreign policy under former prime minister Viktor Orbán.
He suggested that although Orbán was no longer in office, what he described as a policy of “obstruction and isolation” remained visible in Budapest’s approach.
The Ukrainian foreign minister also referred critically to “Orbánism”, while stressing that Kyiv remained open to pragmatic and mutually beneficial cooperation with Hungary.
The remarks are notable because Magyar’s government has sought to distinguish its foreign policy from that of its predecessor, although the C8 dispute shows that significant disagreements between Péter Magyar and Ukraine remain.
MOL–Naftogaz deal adds another layer to dispute
The diplomatic argument has also become entangled with a planned energy project involving Hungarian oil and gas group MOL and Ukraine’s state-owned Naftogaz. Details: Ukraine could store fuel in Hungary as MOL and Naftogaz strike deal amid Russian attacks
Naftogaz announced on 20 September that the companies had signed a memorandum during the first C8 summit concerning the development of facilities in Hungary, close to the Ukrainian border, that could store petroleum products for the Ukrainian market.
The Hungarian government reacted cautiously.
Magyar said in parliament that no such oil storage facility would be built near the Ukrainian-Hungarian border under his government. Economy and Energy Minister István Kapitány also said MOL had not informed the cabinet before signing the memorandum. According to the Hungarian side, the agreement begins a longer preparatory process rather than immediately authorising construction.
Sybiha, however, characterised the arrangement as direct and pragmatic cooperation between companies from the two countries and argued against political interference in such commercial relations.
What is the Carpathian Eight?
The C8 is intended as a new regional framework rather than a military alliance or a supranational organisation.
Its organisers say the initiative should connect governments, regional authorities, businesses and investors across the wider Carpathian region, with cooperation focusing on energy, security, transport, logistics and cross-border development.
The inaugural summit took place in Ukraine’s Ivano-Frankivsk region from 18 to 20 September. Zelenskyy presented the initiative as a way of creating a stronger framework for regional cooperation and closer coordination at European Union level.
Whether Hungary will eventually participate remains unresolved. Budapest says it will continue to follow the development of the initiative, but for now insists that attendance at the inaugural summit should not be interpreted as membership.
The public exchange between Magyar and Sybiha therefore goes beyond terminology: it highlights unresolved questions over how Budapest and Kyiv intend to manage regional cooperation, energy projects and bilateral relations under Hungary’s new government.
There’s no sensible reason why Hungary would not take part in the Carpathian Eight when all of its neighbours are there. It’s all so petty. When you don’t take part decisions are made without your input.