Hungarian premier says Budapest may back Ukraine's first EU accession cluster

Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar announced on Wednesday that Budapest will support the opening of Ukraine's first EU accession cluster if Kyiv implements promised measures to expand linguistic, educational and cultural rights for ethnic Hungarians living in Transcarpathia.

Writing on the US social media platform X, Magyar stated that Budapest and Kyiv had reached a comprehensive agreement to protect the more than 100,000 members of the Hungarian minority in western Ukraine. He noted that the deal followed several weeks of intensive technical-level negotiations in which political and religious organizations representing the Hungarian community participated.

EU accession conditions

Magyar said the Ukrainian government has committed to incorporating the agreed measures into its legal system in the near future, adding that these commitments will be included in Ukraine's action plan submitted to the European Union. "If this happens, the Hungarian government will support the opening of Ukraine's first accession cluster," he said, emphasizing that Budapest continues to oppose accelerated EU accession for the war-torn country.

The Hungarian premier added that if Ukraine succeeds in closing all 33 accession chapters within the next 10 to 15 years, Hungary will support Ukraine's accession subject to a legally binding referendum. The commitment marks a potential shift in Budapest's stance toward Kyiv's European integration bid, though Magyar stressed that opposition to fast-tracked membership remains firm.