Zelenskyy and Madyar may meet in the coming months — Politico
In the coming weeks, Budapest may support the launch of formal negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU.
EU diplomats and officials told Politico about this.
The publication also notes that such steps could signal a gradual improvement in relations between the countries. Against this backdrop, a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar in the coming months cannot be ruled out.
During the tenure of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Hungary was the reason Ukraine’s application for EU membership stalled, Politico recalls. Now that Péter Magyar is in power, this obstacle may finally disappear, as Budapest is moving closer to adopting the EU’s general policy.
It is noted that Magyar has made restoring ties with Brussels a top priority, seeking to unblock billions of euros in EU funds frozen due to rule-of-law issues. But lifting Hungary’s longstanding objections to Ukraine’s EU membership “comes at a political cost for him,” according to a senior EU official who participated in the membership negotiations.
“Although Mádor is Orbán’s fiercest opponent, the new prime minister is also a politician who is primarily focused on Hungary’s interests. This includes skepticism regarding Ukraine’s EU membership. During a press conference on Monday, Mályi insisted that Hungary would not approve Kyiv’s application unless the minority issue is resolved,” writes Politico.
This means that Hungarian Foreign Minister Anita Orbán’s announcement of expert-level talks on the rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine is significant. “Relations are entering a new phase,” added a senior diplomat briefed on the talks, who also suggested a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Mályi in the coming months.
The publication reports that both European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa raised the issue of Ukraine’s EU membership application during phone calls with Orbán shortly after his election. According to the same diplomat, von der Leyen wants the membership issue resolved as soon as possible, that is, before the June summit of EU leaders.
This has raised hopes among Kyiv’s most ardent supporters that a decision to open the first negotiation cluster could be made as early as next week.
However, officials from the European Council are urging caution regarding the prospects of an accelerated timeline. The idea that the first cluster could be opened during next week’s EU General Affairs Council meeting is “somewhat optimistic,” one EU official told the publication on condition of anonymity.
A senior EU official added: “I really think there is a chance to open the cluster, but it will be very difficult.”
Péter Magyarhas found documents that the Orbán government did not have time to destroy.
Hungary’s new Prime Minister Péter Magyar is preparing a visit to Poland
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar announced the end of the state of emergency previously imposed by Viktor Orbán’s government.
Hungaryhas announced it will stop exerting pressure within the EU – Bloomberg.
As a reminder, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Hungary has returned to Ukraine the funds and assets of Oschadbank that were seized by Hungarian special services in March of this year.
