Transcarpathia

Hungarian foreign minister: We stand by Ukraine and the Ukrainian people

foreign minister hungary ukraine

The security of Hungary and the Hungarian people are paramount in the midst of a war, Péter Szijjártó, the foreign minister, told lawmakers in parliament on Monday, arguing that a ceasefire in Ukraine and peace talks “must happen as soon as possible”.

“We condemn war … war goes with suffering,” Szijjártó said in response to a statement made by a Ukrainian national minority representative Liliana Grexa. “We stand by Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, and we also support Ukraine’s sovereignty,” the minister said, noting that the government had adopted this position from the very beginning of the war.

Szijjártó said that calling for an end to the war was the only right stance morally speaking. Many of Transcarpathian Hungarians have died, he said. “Not one Luxembourger, Dane or Dutch person has died in this war. But several Hungarians have,” he added.

Noting a visit he made to the Uzhhorod (Ungvár) cemetery in January, he said that seeing the graves of people “who died senselessly at a young age” had convinced him of the need to boost peace endeavours.

Arms shipments and sanctions, he added, were “a strategic mistake” and the policies had “clearly failed”.

Referring to a European Union decision to increase funds for arms shipments by 5 billion euros, Szijjártó said Hungary withheld its veto after receiving an assurance that the country would not have to participate in the deal.

Further, the minister said sanctions had failed “to bring the Russian economy to its knees” while it had caused Europe hardships.

“It’s time to stop the hypocrisy in Europe … and for European countries to stand on the side of peace…” he said.

Szijjártó vowed that the government would stick the course with the “largest humanitarian action” in Hungary’s history. He said Hungary had allowed more than one million refugees from Ukraine into the country and provided access to health care and education to those who stayed, while supporting their employment.

Fully 1,558 kindergartens and schools have refugee students attending, while 500,000 families in 20 Ukrainian counties have received support from Hungarian state, church and charities, he said. Also, Hungary is helping to rebuild schools and hospitals, and has provided 14,000 children with camping holidays.

The minister said the government wanted relations between Hungary and Ukraine to be based on mutual respect, and for that to happen current disputes should be resolved. These, he added, had arisen because the rights of the Transcarpathian Hungarian community had been “violated continuously”.

War in Middle East

Meanwhile, on the subject of the war in the Middle East, the minister said international organisations were denying or relativising the situation which “started with a brutal, hellish terrorist attack”.

He said it was vital to condemn the attack against Israel in the strongest possible terms, adding that a successful counter-terrorist operation in Gaza was in the interest of the entire world, with a view to warding off any further attacks of a similar kind.

The priority of the international community “is to prevent the conflict from escalating”, he said. “We Hungarians are intervening, motivated by a desire to help. We pursue a foreign policy strategy based on mutual respect so that we can talk with all players in the Middle East crisis, countries that see things from all sides…”

“We’ve managed to maintain our strategic alliance with Israel by upholding a partnership based on mutual respect while enabling dialogues with Arab countries,” he added.

“Had we not pursued this strategy … then we wouldn’t have managed to save the lives of Hungarian” hostages trapped in Gaza, he said.

Putin about Hungarian re-annexation of Ukraine’s Transcarpathia in Tucker Carlson-interview

Putin talked about the Hungarian re-annexation of Ukraine's Transcarpathia

Russian President Vladimir Putin gave a more than 2-hour-long interview to former US Fox News anchorman Tucker Carlson in Moscow. During the interview, he talked about whether he ever mentioned the Hungarian re-annexation of Ukraine’s Transcarpathia and his journey to the Western Ukrainian region, where almost 100 thousand Hungarians live.

Ukraine’s Transcarpathia: not the home of separatism!

Not many foreigners tend to know, but those Hungarians did not choose to move to Ukraine. The borders moved above their heads. Hungarians born in e.g. Beregszász (Berehove), a town with a Hungarian majority close to the Hungarian border, in 1910 lived their lives in five different countries despite never leaving the settlement. They were born as citizens of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In 1920, they became citizens of the newly formed Czechoslovakia. In 1938, they returned to the Hungarian Kingdom, and then, in 1944, they became the citizens of the Soviet Union. Finally, in 1991, they were granted Ukrainian citizenship in the newly-former Ukraine.

Of course, they wanted to preserve their language, culture, and traditions regardless of the country they lived in. Therefore, the Ukrainian nationalists regularly try to charge them with separatism, but such attacks lack any basis.

Since the armed conflict with Russia broke out in 2014, such allegations have come forth quite often. As a result, in 2018, for example, the central office of a Hungarian party in Ukraine was set ablaze.

Ukrainian politicians regularly claim that Hungary wants to take back Transcarpathia. That is why PM Orbán did not send weapons to Ukraine or block the country’s EU aid or EU accession before. They do not consider the fact that shortly after the first weapon delivery arrived in Transcarpathia, a Russian rocket destroyed a radio broadcaster there as a warning. And that was the only attack yet in Transcarpathia following the country’s 2022 Russian invasion.

Furthermore, they do not consider another matter. PM Orbán regularly tries to open up more room to manoeuvre in the European Union. Probably that is why he did not back Ukraine’s financial aid or EU accession for the first time last December. In return, Orbán wanted e.g. more money from the frozen EU RRF and development funds. He was unsuccessful. But such moves cannot be regarded as anti-Ukraine.

Putin offered Transcarpathia to Orbán?

Concerning Transcarpathia, the Hungarian government always expressed support towards Ukraine’s territorial integrity. And that is what Putin confirmed in his interview with Tucker Carlson.

Carlson’s question was quite unequivocal: “Have you told Viktor Orbán that he can have part of Ukraine?” “Never, I have never told him. Not a single time. We have not even had any conversations on that. But I actually know for sure that Hungarians who live there wanted to get back their historical lands”.

Putin also shared details about a trip to Transcarpathia’s Beregszász (Berehove).

“Somewhere in the early eighties, I went on a roadtrip in a car, from then Leningrad across the Soviet Union through Kyiv. We stopped in Kyiv, and then we went to Western Ukraine. I went to the town of Berehove (Beregszász in Hungarian, ed. note). All the names of towns and villages were in Russian and a language I did not understand: in Hungarian. In Russian and in Hungarian. Not in Ukrainian – in Russian and in Hungarian. I was driving through a village and men were sitting next to the houses. They were wearing black three-piece suits and black hats. I asked, are they some kind of entertainers? I was told no, they were not entertainers, they were Hungarians. I said, what are they doing here? What do you mean? This is their land, they live here. This was during the Soviet times during the 1980s. They preserved the Hungarian language, the Hungarian names, and all their national costumes. They are Hungarians and they feel like Hungarians“, the Russian president highlighted.

Putin wanted to continue with the infringement of the Hungarians’ language use rights, but Carlson interrupted. The two started to talk about other redrawn borders of the 20th century and dropped the problem of Transcarpathia and local Hungarians.

However, Putin’s reply on the matter was clear. They have never talked with the Hungarian prime minister about a re-annexation of the territory where fewer and fewer Hungarians live due to the war, poverty and Ukrainian ultra-nationalism.

Read also:

  • Meeting of Hungarian and Ukrainian foreign ministers held, with the Hungarian side asking for 11-point changes – Read more HERE
  • Terrorist attack in Ukrainian region populated by Hungarians – check out the 18+ VIDEO and more in THIS article

Here is the full interview:

Meeting of Hungarian and Ukrainian foreign ministers held, with the Hungarian side asking for 11-point changes

ukraine hungary foreign ministers

Encouraging steps have been made to restore an atmosphere of trust between Hungary and Ukraine, though the road ahead “is long and much work will need to be done”, Péter Szijjártó, the foreign minister, said on Monday, adding that Hungary was ready for this.

Bilateral ties deteriorated “because the rights of Transcarpathian Hungarians have been curbed again and again since 2015”, Szijjártó told a joint press conference after talks in Uzhorod (Ungvár) with Ukrainian counterpart Dmitro Kuleba and Andrij Yermak, the head of the presidential office. He added that ties had been dominated by unresolved issues rather than good relations, according to a ministry statement.

He said the law adopted by the Ukrainian parliament last December “undoubtedly stopped this negative spiral” but the government expected the rights afforded to the Transcarpathian Hungarian community to be restored to what they were in 2015.

“I want to emphasise … that Hungary wants no special treatment; we want nothing we didn’t have before…” he said.

Hungary, he added, has prepared an 11-point list of requests, including restoring the status of schools for ethnic minorities, the opportunity to sit school-leaving exams in Hungarian, as well as the unrestrained use of Hungarian in higher education, culture, public services and community life.

The ministers have also appointed a bilateral inter-governmental committee to finalise the proposals, he added.

“We came here to rebuild trust in bilateral ties. I think we agree that we have taken steps in that direction. We still have a long way ahead of us, and a lot of work to do, but we Hungarians are ready to undertake it,” he said.

Hungary’s position regarding Ukraine was clear and consistent in the past two years, Szijjártó said.

“We stand for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. We condemn the war and want peace in our neighbourhood,” he said.

The minister called for renewed efforts to restore peace in Ukraine. “Hungary is ready to continue making such efforts, because we know that lives can only be saved when there is peace,” he said.

He said that since 2022 Hungary had been carrying out the biggest humanitarian operation in its history, and some one million refugees had entered Hungary. Fully 5,442 Ukrainian children are attending 1,558 schools and kindergartens in the country, he added.

Meanwhile, Hungarian aid has reached some 500,000 families in 20 Ukrainian counties, including summer camps for 14,000 Ukrainian children, Szijjártó said, pledging to continue restoring hospitals, schools and doctors’ surgeries in various parts of Ukraine.

He also touched on the development of cross-border infrastructure, saying that the talks “have yielded results” in that area.

A 120 million euro logistics centre has been built on the Hungarian side of the border and a new border crossing will soon open between Nagyhodos and Velyka Palad (Nagypalád), he added.

They also agreed to expand road and rail crossings near Beregsurány and Záhony, and to explore the construction of a new bridge across the River Tisza, he said.

Szijjártó said he had also asked Kuleba to maintain reliable oil transit, and “to create a fair environment” for Hungarian companies in Ukraine.

He thanked Transcarpathia (Kárpátalja) governor Viktor Mikita for ensuring “that Hungarians and Ukrainians can live peacefully side by side”, adding that Mikita was “instrumental in dealing with attempts to artificially stoke tensions” in the region.

“Certain segments of the international media have made a sport of misconstruing and misrepresenting Hungary’s stance. Such activities could create tensions in everyday life as well as in politics.”

Szijjártó said he had assured Mikita within days of the start of the war that the Hungarian government “will consider all his requests immediately and fulfill them whenever possible”. Hungary has fulfilled that promise in the past two years and would continue to do so, he said.

Minister Szijjártó’s Facebook post with pictures:

 

Ukrainian reactions

Andriy Yermak, the head of the President’s Office, said

Ukraine had made “big steps” towards a meeting between Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Kuleba said Ukraine was “ready to resolve the debate on minorities’ rights with Hungary”.

As we wrote today, Brussels’ final warning to PM Orbán, Hungarian economy at risk if he vetoes – details HERE

This is how Ukraine could become ‘a real European country’ according to State Secretary Németh

Németh Zsolt Fidesz politician revolution of national cohesion

Hungary firmly condemns Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine, but unless the country “takes the weapon of linguistic self-defence out of the Russian president’s hands”, he will get to hold on to that “nuclear option”, the head of parliament’s foreign affairs committee said on Friday.

Showing generosity to minorities regarding the use of their mother tongue could give Ukraine “a real European future”, Zsolt Németh said at the presentation of a book on the survival of the country’s Transcarpathian Hungarian community. Noting the coming talks between Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, he said such an approach would benefit not just Transcarpathian Hungarians but all people of Ukraine.

Németh said the recent amendments to Ukraine’s minority law were “a good start, but it needs to go farther”. He added that the Venice Commission, the Council of Europe, the European Union and the bilateral talks held so far made it clear that Ukraine must restore the state of affairs that pertained in 2014.

He said the current law did not guarantee cultural autonomy, collective rights, parliamentary representation or the possibility of using the mother tongue as an official language. Moreover, he added, the law did not ensure the legal institution of national minority education, the use of minority languages for place names or the free use of symbols.

He noted that the CoE Monitoring Committee was set to debate whether Ukraine’s amendment of its minority law is enough to meet the country’s international obligations.

Ukraine could make the most progress in becoming “a real European country” by ensuring linguistic and cultural equality for minorities, Németh said.

Read also:

Hungary’s ongoing efforts to help the people of Ukraine don’t go unnoticed

Hungary Helps - Magyarország segít in Ukrain

The head of the Hungarian Interchurch Aid, László Lehel, reflects on the positive impact Hungary has made on the lives of Ukrainians. The people of cities such as Mykolaiv and Khmelnytskyi have not remained indifferent to Hungary’s generosity and unceasing efforts.

A significant contribution

Hungary’s well-coordinated relief efforts, led by the Hungarian Interchurch Aid (HIA), have reached far and wide, leaving a lasting impact on the war-torn country. A substantial sum of HUF 11.6 billion (EUR 30.7 million), though modest in the context of a nation at war, has been efficiently utilised, Mandiner.hu writes. Half a million people in Ukraine have benefited from this aid. The achievement can be attributed to the organisation’s skilled staff and efficiency. Notably, HUF 2.9 billion (EUR 7.6 million) was also contributed by the Hungarian government through the Hungary Helps programme.

Diverse humanitarian projects

The Hungary Helps programme has been instrumental in the establishment of a school, a kindergarten, a medical clinic and an ambulance station in the Kyiv region. The relief efforts extend beyond these projects to include support for the Hungarian, Ruthenian and Ukrainian populations in Transcarpathia. The organisation has played a crucial role in aiding those fleeing the Russian offensive, creating a network of interconnected projects that address the broader challenges faced by the affected communities.

László Lehel emphasised the organisation’s commitment to inclusivity, ensuring that not only Hungarians but also other communities receive assistance. This approach aims to prevent envy and fosters a sense of unity among diverse groups. The organisation continues to provide essential support for local Hungarians, including the elderly, those living alone and families with children.

Early challenges and ongoing efforts

We didn’t push anything, the important thing was what would really help them

noted László Lehel. Assessing each community’s specific requirements, the organisation provides targeted aid, whether it be toys for children, washing machines or other essentials. The focus is on making a meaningful impact. The initial period presented significant challenges, with an influx of refugees testing the organisation’s capabilities. Despite the difficulties, solidarity prevailed, and the Hungarian community showed support for refugees. Over time, the pressure from refugees has diminished, allowing a return to normalcy in some areas. The organisation continues to adapt, focusing on reconstruction efforts and supporting internally displaced people within Ukraine.

Building a new future

As the situation stabilises, a new phase has begun, marked by the arrival of companies in the safe counties of Ukraine. This has led to changes in population proportions and an increase in wages. The relief organisation remains actively engaged in reconstruction efforts, playing a pivotal role in the rebuilding of kindergartens, insulation of buildings and the integration of displaced persons.

Hungarian aid workers have left a deep impression on the locals

László Lehel recounts touching moments, such as encounters with Ukrainians in Mykolaiv and Khmelnytskyi, who expressed immense gratitude for Hungary’s support. The organisation’s transparent and credible approach, coupled with efficient problem-solving, has garnered appreciation from both the local populace and regional leaders.

Bringing hope beyond material aid

While material assistance is crucial, the organisation recognises the importance of providing hope. Lehel shared a heartwarming moment in Borodianka, where a young girl, amidst the ruins, offered a small token of appreciation – a piece of chocolate. This gesture shows the impact of not just helping materially but also instilling a sense of hope in the midst of adversity. Hungary’s support for Ukraine, though a drop in the ocean, has created ripples of hope that extend far beyond the immediate crisis.

Read also:

Hungarian government behind the Hungarian community in Transcarpathia

Hungarian government behind the Hungarian community in Transcarpathia (Copy)

Hungarians stand behind the Hungarian community in Transcarpathia, in western Ukraine, a government official said on Saturday in Sátoraljaújhely, in north-eastern Hungary, where he welcomed families at a camp organised by the Rákóczi Association.

Government bodies, municipalities, aid groups and churches in and outside Hungary have stood together to help Transcarpathian Hungarians, Miklós Panyi, state secretary at the Prime Minister’s Office for policy and strategic affairs, said.

The government is providing educational support, wage subsidies, financing for churches and civil organisations, as well as subsidies for the humanitarian activities of aid groups, he noted.

He pledged the government’s continued support for Transcarpathian Hungarians across the board.

Fully 200 parents and children have arrived at the Sátoraljaújhely camp from western Ukraine to take a break from the everyday burdens of the war.

The Rákóczi Association is planning 100 programmes this year centered on Hungarian youth, Csongor Csáky, the head of the Rákóczi Association, told public media on Friday.

Read also:

  • 18+ VIDEO: terrorist attack in Ukrainian region populated by Hungarians – Details HERE
  • Hungarian foreign minister meets Ukraine counterpart

President: Transcarpathian Hungarians in our thoughts, words and prayers

novák

President Katalin Novák expressed her support and sympathy for ethnic Hungarians in western Ukraine’s Transcarpathia region in an interview with local weekly Kárpáti Igaz Szó, assuring the community that “we are with them in our thoughts, words and prayers every day, especially at Christmas time.”

In the interview published on Thursday, Novák noted that she had visited Kyiv at the invitation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky twice this past year, with her latest visit having been in August.

The president said she had conveyed the intent to make peace, along with the wish for the guarantee of the rights of the Hungarian minority to her Ukrainian counterpart. She said ethnic Hungarians had to simultaneously endure the difficulties of their everyday lives, the burden of war, restrictions to their rights and the consequences of internal migration.

Novák said the Transcarpathian Hungarian community could find strength in their faith and their Hungarian identity.

“The free use of the mother tongue isn’t just a requirement for the survival of an indigenous national minority, but one of the most fundamental European human rights norms,” the president said, adding that the leaders of the motherland could not ignore this right being questioned.

Concerning the talks, Novák advised caution about drawing conclusions, adding, however, that it was a “good sign” that she had spoken with Zelensky multiple times since. She said it was important that Zelensky had visited Berehove (Beregszász) for a second time after their talks to meet with the leaders of local ethnic Hungarian organisations.

She said ethnic Hungarian leaders, too, had spoken of “meaningful progress”, but what that would be enough for was still to be seen.

Novák said the new law on minority rights passed by Ukraine’s parliament was a “necessary but not sufficient” step towards easing the restrictions to ethnic Hungarians’ rights. She said the aim to restore the rights of minorities prior to 2015 was not just “Hungarian stubbornness”, arguing that taking away previously acquired minority rights and the right to the free use of the mother tongue was not acceptable in Europe, either.

Hungary’s demands, she said, were actually European requirements. “This is the bare minimum now that Brussels has decided to enter into accession talks,” she said.

Underlining the importance of peace, Novák said it was difficult to say how the conditions for peace could be reached, adding that the most important aim now was to bring an end to the “destructive phase” of the war.

The president called for negotiations on how each side could achieve their goals by peaceful means and talks.

She said Transcarpathian Hungarians had an interest in both Ukraine’s and Hungary’s prosperity and a peaceful coexistence with their broader environment.

Novák said progress required unity between Hungary and Ukraine, adding that Hungary was prepared to maintain fair relations if it saw that ethnic Hungarians were respected.

Ukraine, she said, still had a “long road” to navigate to join the alliances Hungary is a part of, adding that it would be impossible for the country to get there without Transcarpathian Hungarians.

Novák said she wanted her meetings with Zelensky to convey the message that if the Hungarian president was able to engage in talks with the Ukrainian president, then dialogue between Ukrainians and Hungarians was also possible.

Read also:

18+ VIDEO: terrorist attack in Ukrainian region populated by Hungarians – UPDATED

Terrorist attack in Ukrainian region populated by Hungarians

Based on the latest census, more than 150 thousand Hungarians lived in Transcarpathia. Though many of them fled after the start of the Russian invasion in Ukraine, tens of thousands remained. This is the region where a terrorist attack happened today afternoon. Here is a reader’s letter about it, which we received two hours ago. We’ll update our article whenever new information emerges.

“On Friday, 15 December, in Transcarpathia, in the building of the Krechkovsky (Kerecke in Hungarian – DNH addition) village council, a deputy exploded grenades during a meeting. As a result of the explosion, more than two dozen people were injured. The incident hit the Net in a broadcast on Instagram. The incident was reported by the police of the Transcarpathian region.

The published video (it is not for the faint-hearted, impressionable please avoid watching) captured the moment as a man enters the room and stands at the door. The man, later identified as Serhiy Batrin, a deputy from Vladimir Zelensky’s Servant of the People party, tries to draw attention to himself, after which he takes two grenades out of his coat pockets and throws them under the feet of the audience. Two explosions sounded, the room was filled with smoke, and then a third clap sounded. The video captured the terrifying screams and cries of the wounded. The last seconds of the video show that the deputy did not plan to flee, and remained in place.

Later it was reported that during the meeting, there was a discussion of the budget for 2024.

At present, there are 26 victims, six of whom are in serious condition. Medics are carrying out resuscitation measures with regard to the man who exploded the grenades. According to other sources, he died.

It is reported that all specialised services, a police investigation team, explosion technicians and criminalists are working at the site.

The National Police of Ukraine qualified the incident as a terrorist act“, the letter goes.

Below you may find the 18+ video shared by the police department of Transcarpathia:

According to open-source data, there are no Hungarian families living in the settlement.

UPDATE

The attacker was a member of Ukrainian President Zelensky’s political party, the Servant of the People, index.hu wrote.

Read also:

  • PM Orbán vetoed EU’s EUR 50 bn for Ukraine, said Hungarian’s money go to Kyiv – Read more HERE
  • Transcarpathian Hungarians ask PM Orbán to stop obstructing Ukraine in open letter – Details in THIS article

Hungarian foreign minister meets Ukraine counterpart

Hungarian foreign minister meets Ukraine counterpart in Brussels

Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, who met Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba in Brussels on Monday, said on Facebook that Hungary did not see its stance on Ukraine’s EU accession bid as a tactical issue.

Szijjártó said that whereas a meeting in person with Kuleba had not taken place since the outbreak of the war, they had kept in regular contact with the aim of improving Hungary-Ukraine ties.

Referring to the restriction of the rights of the Hungarian national minority in Ukraine, Szijjártó said “this cast a shadow on bilateral relations”, adding that Hungary demanded the restoration of conditions pertaining in 2015.

He noted that Ukraine’s EU ambitions were discussed.

“For us this isn’t a tactical issue but a decision of historic proportions regarding the future of the entire European Union,” he said.

The minister said the European Commission had no clue what effect Ukraine’s EU membership would have on the bloc. ‘It’s enough to think back to the intractable problems the Commission’s decision on grain transit and Ukraine scrapping the licensing requirement for lorries,” he said.

Szijjártó added, moreover, that the Commission had not prepared the ground for ensuring that Ukraine pursued mutually beneficial accession talks.

As we wrote on Sunday, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met and exchanged a few words at the inauguration ceremony of Javier Milei, Argentina’s new president, in Buenos Aires – video here

Hungary not to ‘give in to pressure’

The Hungarian government will “continue to make its decisions in line with European and national values” and “will not give in to pressure from anyone, whether in the form of bribery or pledges,” Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Facebook on Monday.

Ahead of “historic meetings affecting Europe’s future” to be held in Brussels this week, Szijjártó said there were signs of “appalling political and media pressure”. “The European political and media elite obviously mixes up completely different dimensions trying to resolve historical and strategic issues through tactical deals,” he said, but added “they will not succeed, obviously, we will not give our consent.”

Debates between foreign ministers of the EU and in the general affairs council will focus on Ukraine, he said, adding that “a large part of EU politicians seek to pass decisions that are largely unprepared for and lack a strategic consensus.”

Speaking at a press conference after a meeting of the EU’s Foreign Affairs Council, Szijjártó said was under “tremendous political and media pressure” to approve the start of EU accession talks with Ukraine “despite the situation not being suitable for this right now”.

According to a ministry statement, Szijjártó said the pressure on Hungary was “unacceptable”, and he vowed that the country would not give up its national interests or the right to make its own sovereign decisions.

“We don’t accept being pressured, and we’ll also resist any attempts at blackmail…” Szijjártó said. “And I’d like to make it clear that we continue to refuse to conflate historical-strategic and tactical dimensions.”

“This is not a tactical position on our part,” he said, arguing that the question of when Ukraine could begin accession talks would have “serious historic consequences, too”.

The minister said any decision in connection with Ukraine’s potential accession talks could only be made after a preparatory phase, adding however that the conditions for these preparations were not in place.

He said the European Commission’s assessment that Ukraine had met four of the seven pre-conditions for talks was incorrect.

Hungary, he said, supported looking at mutually beneficial ways to enhance cooperation with Ukraine, adding that EU membership was not the only option. Deciding on starting accession talks now would be “irresponsible”, Szijjártó said, arguing that it was impossible to know the effects of such a decision.

He cited the effects of the EU’s resolutions on opening transit corridors for Ukrainian grain and exempting Ukrainian hauliers from seeking permits before entering bloc, saying the EU “could not salvage what was salvageable”.

Meanwhile, he said the Hungarian government had still not approved allocating an additional 500 million euros from the European Peace Facility for weapons deliveries to Ukraine, arguing that Kyiv’s list of international war sponsors still contained Hungarian entities and individuals, mainly linked to OTP Bank.

Asked to comment on Ukraine’s amended law on minorities, Szijjártó said Hungary and Transcarpathian ethnic Hungarian organisations would assess the legislation, adding it was already clear that it had failed not restore the rights minorities had been gradually stripped of since 2015.

Meanwhile, Szijjártó said that on Monday afternoon, he will meet his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, and Olha Stefanishyna, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister for Euro-Atlantic integration.

Also interesting: What will Putin say? Hungary manufactures combat vehicles for Ukraine

Government: Ukraine’s new law far from restoring 2015 minority rights

Zelensky president Ukraine

The Hungarian government will “thoroughly examine” legislation passed by Ukraine’s parliament on Friday, but “it is already clear that the law is far from restoring the 2015 rights” of the Hungarian minority, Tamás Menczer, the foreign affairs state secretary, said on Facebook.

The Hungarian government will monitor implementation of the new law, Menczer said. Late on Friday, the Ukrainian parliament adopted a law on ethnic minorities aimed to restore their earlier rights in a number of areas, with the exception of ethnic Russians.

Read also:

  • Hungary manufactures combat vehicles for Ukraine
  • Orbán: Ukraine is corrupt, Hungary will not be mixed nation – Read more HERE

Fidesz MEP calls for immediate peace in Ukraine

Németh Zsolt Bocskor Andrea

The war in Ukraine has strongly affected ethnic Hungarians in the country’s Transcarpathia region, they are deeply concerned over drafting to the army and the future of education in their mother tongue, Andrea Bocskor, a Fidesz MEP for the region, said in a statement on Wednesday.

Bocskor said that in her address at the 8th Transcarpathia day hosted by the Hungarian Liszt Institute in Brussels she pointed out the Hungarian community’s concerns and underlined the importance of ending the war and brokering peace as soon as possible.

She said that the event gave an opportunity to call attention to the situation of Transcarpathia Hungarians, “the hardship of their daily life in the shadow of the war” as well as to present “a piece” of their fine art and theatre in Brussels.

“It is important that Brussels should not forget about the issue of the rights of Transcarpathia Hungarians and other national minorities in Ukraine,” she said.

Laszlo Brenzovics, leader of the Cultural Alliance of Hungarians in Sub-Carpathia (KMKSZ), said the survival of the region’s community could be thanked to the work and efforts of many people.

Tamas Ivan Kovacs, Hungary’s ambassador for Belgium and Luxemburg said that the importance of the Hungarian nation had increased since the outbreak of the Ukraine-Russia war.

“Being Hungarian, belonging to the Hungarian nation is not only a matter of nationality and not even of citizenship,” the ambassador said. He said that it was the language, culture and ‘common feeling” that created cohesion among Hungarians, calling Transcarpathian Hungarians highly important in the process.

Hungarian FM: Ukraine’s EU accession would bring war to bloc

Péter Szijjártó foreign minister

Ukraine is not fit for European Union membership until peace can be established in the country, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Wednesday, arguing that Ukraine’s EU accession “would bring the war to the bloc, which obviously nobody can want”.

Commenting on the European Commission’s new enlargement package, Szijjártó said the analysis was correct in concluding that Ukraine had not met the conditions for EU candidate status, pointing out its violations of national minority rights.

“Since even the European Commission says that Ukraine has failed to meet the conditions for candidate status, we don’t consider any additional steps to be timely when it comes to accession talks with Ukraine,” the minister said before leaving for Guatemala, according to a ministry statement.

At the same time, the Hungarian government believes it is time for a debate on the EU’s future policy on Ukraine, he added.

With the ongoing war in Ukraine, it is clear that neither media freedom nor the freedom of speech apply in the country, and elections are not being held, either, Szijjártó said.

“It would obviously be absurd for European Union institutions or member states to take a stance on how the institutions of the rule of law function in Ukraine under these circumstances,” he added.

He said it was “abundantly clear” that Ukraine would not be fit for EU membership until there was peace in the country. “Ukraine would also bring the war with it into the European Union, which we obviously don’t want, can’t want,” he said.

Enlargement should serve the expansion of peace, rather than bringing war into the bloc, he said.

“So we don’t consider any progress in Ukraine’s accession talks to be timely at the moment,” he said. “And we, Hungarians, of course, still expect Ukraine to restore the rights held by the Transcarpathian Hungarian community until 2015.”

Meanwhile, Szijjártó said the EU was facing serious security and economic challenges and was getting weaker. One way to make the bloc stronger, he said, would be to admit more members, adding that the EU should “start with the Western Balkans”.

“This is a process that has gone unfinished for 20 years,” Szijjártó said. The Western Balkan countries clearly have a place in the EU, he said, adding that their accession would bring new momentum and energy to the bloc.

He singled out Serbia as a key country in the region, noting that the EC had “correctly determined” that it had made significant progress on the path to EU integration.

Szijjártó said new accession chapters should be opened with Serbia as soon as possible so that the process could be concluded as quickly as possible.

The minister welcomed the EC’s decision to grant candidate status to Georgia, which he said it should have received “a lot sooner”.

Hungary expresses its condolences to the leaders of Transcarpathia for the war losses against Russia

Transcarpathia Ukraine Hungary

Levente Magyar, a state secretary of the foreign ministry, visited Transcarpathia (Kárpátalja) on Monday and expressed his condolences to the region’s leadership over the heavy losses sustained in the war.

In a speech opening the meeting with the Transcarpathia general assembly and representatives of the military administration, Transcarpathia Governor Viktor Mikita thanked Hungary for its continuous help throughout the war.

Magyar said the talks focused on joint projects. “The list of things Hungary and Ukraine have done together to mitigate war damage and ease the suffering is already long,” he said.

Both sides also looked into the future, preparing for trade and cooperation in peacetime, he said. He highlighted a Hungarian-Italian-Ukrainian investment aiming to establish a railway corridor linking Ukraine and the Italian coast, saying Hungary was supporting the Ukraine leg of the investment, among other projects.

Ukraine and Hungary have recently won significant EU funding for the upgrade of a border crossing to ease the pressure on the Záhony-Cop (Csap) crossing, he said.

Magyar thanked Mikita for his support of the Hungarians living in Transcarpathia, saying he had done everything in his power to preserve peace in the region.

Lawmaker Julija Hrisina of the ruling Sluha narodu (Servant of the people) party also attended the meeting, and thanked Hungary for financing 100 ventilators for Ukrainian health-care institutions, adding that traditional cooperation between Transcarpathia and Hungary had strengthened after the start of the war.

In the afternoon, Magyar laid a wreath at the memorial site for the soldiers who died in the war, and said he had been “shaken” by fast-growing number of graves. The war is becoming more intense, “and that supports the Hungarian narrative that peace is a priority,” he said.

As we wrote before, the academic year of Hungarian college in Ukraine started in red-white-green, photos and details HERE.

Hungarian Christian Democrats harshly criticise the EU in Madrid

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The European Union should use all its powers and diplomatic skills to force through a ceasefire in Ukraine, followed by peace talks, deputy group leader of the co-ruling Christian Democrats said on Monday.

Lőrinc Nacsa told MTI in Madrid, where attended a conference of foreign affairs and defence committees of the European Parliament and the parliaments of EU member states, that Hungary resolutely stood up for the rights of ethnic Hungarians in Transcarpathia (Kárpátalja), “which the political establishment in Kiev has been systematically cutting back in recent years”.

“Fortunately, an increasing number of European politicians are aware of this situation and the situation of ethnic Hungarians in Transcarpathia, the education law and the narrowing of minority rights, so the issue is receiving increasing attention,” he said.

Attended by representatives of invited countries including Turkey, Serbia, Georgia, Norway and the UK, the meeting also reviewed external foreign policy and security policy challenges facing the EU. In addition to the war in Ukraine, the protection of the EU’s external borders and migration were also discussed.

“Instead of producing migrant pacts and creating migrant ghettos within its territory, the EU should protect its external borders and support countries that protect the external borders,” he said.

Participants at the conference discussed EU enlargement plans, Nacsa said, adding that enlargement was highly important for Hungary and that “delays are making the EU weaker”.

He said Georgia should receive member candidate status as soon as possible and progress should be made in Western Balkans integration, as well as approval of Romania’s and Bulgaria’s Schengen accession, he said.

He noted the importance of the European parliamentary elections next year to ensure that the EU becomes more effective and better represents the interests of European citizens.

“What we can see is that due to the unsuccessful policies of Brussels in recent years, the EU was in a weakened state when it was hit by multiple challenges,”

he said. “So, the governments and parliaments of member states must have a greater role in decision-making than the Brussels bureaucracy,” he added.

At the same time, the EU is strong only if it faces outwards united, so any deviation from unanimous decision-making rules or talks about this are against the EU’s interests, he added.

As we wrote a few days ago, following a decision by Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Agency (NACA), OTP is temporarily removed from the list of war supporters. However, this is not enough for the Hungarian government. Details HERE.

PHOTOS: New building of elite Hungarian MCC College opened in Transcarpathia, Ukraine

New building of elite Hungarian MCC College opened in Transcarpathia, Ukraine

The Hungarian government supports ethnic Hungarians in Transcarpathia, including “promotion of their fundamental rights and restoring their rights to use the (Hungarian) language,” Gergely Gulyás, the head of the Hungarian Prime Minister’s Office, said at a ceremony opening the new academic year at the Mathias Corvinus Collegium’s new building at Berehove (Beregszász) on Sunday.

In his address, Gulyás thanked Viktor Mikita, the governor of Transcarpathia, for honouring the event and “demonstrating through his presence the importance of cooperation between Hungarians and Ukrainians in such hard times”.

The Hungarian government condemns “Russia’s aggression, launching the war and violating (Ukraine’s) territorial integrity”, Gulyás said.

According to Gulyás, Hungary has provided aid worth a total 35 billion forints (EUR 90m) to Ukraine since the outbreak of the war, while Hungarian charity organisations have sent thousands of tonnes of food and other supplies worth some 10 billion forints. Tens of thousands of refugees have been accommodated in Hungary, and over one million were allowed transit to other countries, he added.

Hungary strives for good neighbourly relations and “wants to be a friend to Ukraine”, Gulyás said, but added that those efforts were impeded by “the one-sidedness of gestures, deliberate misunderstanding and measures curbing the rights of the Hungarian minority”.

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Ukraine “rightfully complains about the violation of its sovereignty” but it “overlooks fundamental rights due to its ethnic minorities as well as international norms,” he said.

“Hungarians fighting and sacrificing their lives for Ukraine deserve to be considered as Ukraine’s own citizens and be returned what (Ukraine) stripped them of, the free use of their mother tongue … especially in education,” he insisted.

The new MCC building has been erected “in preparation for a better future after the war”, Gulyás said. “Let us pray and work for the war to end as soon as possible and peace to come,” he added.

Governor Mikita thanked Hungary for the humanitarian aid provided. The peoples of Transcarpathia “have lived peacefully together for a thousand years and I will do everything that it does not change in future,” he added.

PHOTOS: Academic year of Hungarian college in Ukraine started in red-white-green

New academic year in Transcarpathia

Culture and Innovation Minister János Csák spoke at an event marking the start of the academic year at the II Rákóczi Ferenc Transcarpathian Hungarian College of Higher Education in Berehove (Beregszász), Ukraine, on Saturday.

Csák pledged Hungary’s continued support for culture and institutions that transfers culture “everywhere in the world where Hungarians live”. Addressing the school’s freshman class, Csák said the students would be the leaders of the Hungarian community in Transcarpathia in 10-20 years.

Rector István Csernicskó said the school remained popular among the youth of Transcarpathia in spite of the war and acknowledged the support of the Hungarian government allowing continued developments at the institution. Enrollment stands at 1,371, he added.

New academic year in Transcarpathia
Minister János Csák after he received his Rákóczi-award. Photo: MTI
New academic year in Transcarpathia
The interior of the church. Photo: MTI

Viktor Mykyta, the head of the Transcarpathian Regional Military Administration, thanked Hungary for the country’s humanitarian assistance to the people of Ukraine and support for the education sector.

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Here are some photos:

Csák believes that how Transcarpathian Hungarian education, healthcare, social and cultural institutions stand their ground amid the war and economic crisis is exemplary:

Fidesz politician: EU must create peace in its neighbourhood

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The European Union must create peace in its neighbourhood and protect its external borders against illegal migration, János Bóka, the minister for European Union affairs, said in a statement on Tuesday. Further, the EU should cease applying double standards to Poland and Hungary, he said ahead of a meeting of EU affairs ministers.

At an informal working breakfast, Bóka outlined Hungary’s position on the rights of the Transcarpathian Hungarian minority and their current situation.

He said the government demanded solutions related to the education of the Hungarian minority as well as under headings connected with the language and minority law, in line with the recommendations of the Venice Commission. The situation should be restored to the state of affairs in 2015, he added.

President Katalin Novák’s recent visit to Ukraine reanimated discussions about the situation of the Transcarpathian Hungarian minority, he said, adding that it was important that momentum should be combined with sincere political intentions, leading to palpable results.

Meanwhile, Bóka said he had talked to senior European Commission officials regarding preparations for Hungary’s EU presidency.

Another step towards Hungarian-Ukrainian friendship?

Unexpected turn Ukraine Hungary friendship

A Hungarian-Ukrainian inter-ministerial education working group is holding its fourth meeting in Budapest to discuss the settlement of the rights of ethnic Hungarians living in Transcarpathia and the situation of Ukrainian refugees, a foreign ministry official said on Friday.

Levente Magyar, the ministry’s parliamentary state secretary, told MTI he was optimistic that the sides could agree on a roadmap for settling their disagreements. Ukraine in recent years has introduced a number of measures that restrict ethnic Hungarians’ right to education in their mother tongue, Magyar noted, adding that Hungary has kept this matter on the agenda for years. “This is important enough for us that we’ve even blocked Ukraine from joining and deepening its ties with the EU and NATO,” he said.

Hungary has again made it clear to Ukraine that it will not budge on this decision unless relevant steps are taken to restore the rights of the local Hungarian community, the state secretary said. He added, however, that the early indications in connection with the talks gave cause for optimism. Even if the sides failed to reach agreement on every detail, they could still agree on a roadmap that may lead to a settlement of these issues in the foreseeable future, Magyar said.

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The working group will also discuss the situation of Ukrainian refugees in Hungary, he said. The thousands of children who have stayed in the country must be taught Hungarian and integrated into the school system, he noted.

Magyar, who is deputy foreign minister, signed a declaration of intent on cooperation within the framework of the Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship programme with Yevhen Kudriavets, Ukraine’s deputy education minister, according to a statement.

Featured image: illustration