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Hungary, Ukraine to Start Zakarpattia Minority Talks Next Week

5/19/2026

Summary

Orbán Initiates Minority Talks

Hungarian FM Anita Orbán and Ukrainian FM Andrii Sybiha said talks on the Hungarian minority in Zakarpattia will start week, with delegations meeting online Tuesday.
They described their weekend phone call as constructive and substantive.
Sybiha said Kyiv is ready to open EU accession negotiation clusters soon.
Orbán will travel to Krakow, Warsaw and Gdansk for meetings with Poland’s leaders and will meet President Zelenskyy in June on minority rights.

Summary

Costa Demands Respect

President António Costa told Prime Minister Péter Magyar that respect for the Hungarian minority must precede Ukraine’s EU accession.
Magyar said Hungary will redirect nearly 1 billion forints ($3.22 million) from ministers’ severance payments to a Ukrainian orphanage after the handover.
Analysts say Hungary’s 11-point plan, part of European Union (EU) action that obliges Kyiv to protect Romanian, Polish and Bulgarian minorities, includes Ukraine’s Romanian-language day, contains pitfalls that could stall implementation.

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Orbán Initiates Minority Talks

Hungarian FM Anita Orbán and Ukrainian FM Andrii Sybiha said talks on the Hungarian minority in Zakarpattia will start week, with delegations meeting online Tuesday.
They described their weekend phone call as constructive and substantive.
Sybiha said Kyiv is ready to open EU accession negotiation clusters soon.
Orbán will travel to Krakow, Warsaw and Gdansk for meetings with Poland’s leaders and will meet President Zelenskyy in June on minority rights.

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