Russia’s embassy in Budapest has sharply criticised both Hungary and Ukraine over their handling of minority rights in Transcarpathia. The diplomatic mission questioned the transparency of recent agreements between Budapest and Kyiv, arguing that the Hungarian minority’s concerns remain unresolved despite signs of improving bilateral relations.
According to Index , the Russian Embassy published a statement on Facebook addressing Kyiv’s obligations towards the ethnic Hungarian community in western Ukraine.
The embassy argued that, following the change of government in Hungary, Ukrainian authorities have sought to portray relations with Budapest as improving. However, it claimed that the underlying disagreements over minority rights have yet to be resolved.
The statement also criticised Ukrainian references to the two countries’ shared historical resistance to imperial Russia and Soviet rule, describing this narrative as an attempt to divert attention from unresolved bilateral issues.
Russian embassy questions the transparency of Hungary–Ukraine agreements
The Russian statement comes more than three months after Hungary and Ukraine announced an agreement intended to address their longstanding disagreements over minority rights.
Now, the Russian embassy argued that the lack of publicly available documentation makes it difficult to assess what has actually been agreed and whether the commitments are being fulfilled. It also accused Kyiv of relying on promises rather than implementing substantial changes to minority legislation.
“They have so far gone no further than words, promises or symbolic concessions,” the Russian Embassy in Budapest wrote in its Facebook post.
It also pointed to a Ukrainian diplomatic note reportedly outlining Kyiv’s commitments regarding 11 demands raised by Hungary’s previous government, as well as Hungarian amendments to Ukraine’s action plan on protecting national minorities.
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What have Hungary and Ukraine agreed on?
According to the Hungarian government’s official announcement , Ukraine agreed to restore the system of minority schools, expand the use of Hungarian in educational institutions and permit the display of Hungarian national symbols in municipalities where the community accounts for more than 10% of the population.
Prime Minister Péter Magyar announced that Kyiv had committed to incorporating the agreed measures into Ukrainian law. The arrangements included restoring minority education provisions, allowing greater use of Hungarian in schools and protecting the community’s cultural rights.
At the same time, Hungary has maintained its position on Ukraine’s EU accession. In September, Budapest again blocked progress on additional negotiating clusters, making further advancement conditional on Kyiv taking concrete steps to implement the minority rights agreement. Legislative guarantees remain a prerequisite for Hungary’s support.
The Russian embassy’s statement also referred to Ukrainian legislative proposals expected in September, questioning whether they would introduce meaningful changes to laws governing education, the state language and national minorities.
Zelenskyy sees no major obstacle between Budapest and Kyiv
The latest Russian criticism comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has sought to play down the disagreements with Hungary. Speaking at the Carpathian Eight summit in western Ukraine on Friday, 18 September, Zelenskyy said he did not see a major problem between Kyiv and Budapest regarding minority rights.
He acknowledged that Hungary was waiting for the Ukrainian parliament to adopt the relevant legislation, but expressed hope that Budapest would subsequently allow Ukraine’s EU accession negotiations to move forward.
According to Interfax-Ukraine , Zelenskyy said Kyiv hoped to open two additional negotiating clusters in September or October, with another two potentially unblocked by the end of 2026.
The Ukrainian government is preparing a draft law addressing the issues raised by Hungary, although the timetable for its introduction and adoption remains unclear.
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Russia’s method of dealing with minority rights in Ukraine is to force everyone to abandon their language and culture and be completely Russified. What a stupid article to waste time on Russian embassy comments on minority rights in Transcarpathia. These people are the aggressors who are killing Ukrainians and seek to wipe their nation off the face of the globe.
Meanwhile: The Kremlin continues to deny that Russia will conduct mobilization after its September 18-20 State Duma elections, likely in an effort to dissuade Russian citizens from fleeing abroad. Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated on September 18 that Russian authorities have no plans to conduct a covert mobilization after the elections. Bloomberg reported on September 18 that Russian government and military recruitment officials have been attempting to open accounts at foreign banks and move assets abroad, while also encouraging their relatives to leave Russia, amid concerns over an upcoming mobilization