Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó has reiterated Budapest’s claims against Ukraine after a first meeting with Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Taras Kachka, who had called the discussion constructive, and once again stated that Hungary does not see Ukraine as part of the EU.

Source: Szijjártó on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda 

Details: Szijjártó stated that Hungary seeks good relations with all its neighbours, including Ukraine, but that relations are currently not in good shape, and "responsibility for this lies entirely with Kyiv".

Quote:"It was not Hungary that took away from the Ukrainian minority their rights to use their mother tongue. It is not Hungary that endangers Ukraine’s energy security. It is not Hungary that tries to drag them into a war against their will.

We have set out 11 clear points, adding up to one demand: Ukraine must return all the rights [of the Hungarian minority – ed.] that existed before 2015. If anti-corruption laws could be reversed under EU pressure, they can be reversed in this case as well." 

Details: Budapest has repeatedly voiced this demand. 

Szijjártó went on to call for strikes on the Druzhba oil pipeline to stop, saying they "do not hurt Russia, they hurt us". He also noted that Hungary supplies 40% of Ukraine’s imported electricity and 50% of its imported gas.

Quote: "Ukraine’s EU membership goes against Hungary’s economic and security interests. A strategic partnership between the EU and Ukraine is more realistic. Membership would bring unacceptable risks, including the danger of dragging the EU into war." 

Details:Szijjártó added that Budapest supports "positive steps to build trust", citing examples such as the opening of a Hungarian-Ukrainian school in Budapest, providing summer holidays for 12,500 Ukrainian children, and establishing railway routes from Zakarpattia to Budapest and Vienna.

He concluded that Hungary is open to good relations with Ukraine but "will never give up our national interest" and the future of relations "depends solely on Kyiv".

Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine Taras Kachka described his meeting with Szijjártó as "constructive, substantive and pragmatic".

According to Kachka, the conversation clarified the absence of substantial problems and the presence of solutions to all 11 points raised by the Hungarian side.

Background : Last year, the Office of the Ukrainian President reported that Ukraine was working on fulfilling Hungary’s 11 demands concerning minority rights.

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