Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky could visit Hungary in the near future following a breakthrough agreement between Budapest and Kyiv on the rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine’s Transcarpathia region.
According to Magyar Hang, preparations are underway for a visit by Zelensky to the Hungarian capital. When contacted by the outlet, Ukraine’s ambassador to Hungary, Sándor Fegyír, confirmed that discussions are taking place, but no date had yet been agreed on.
The prospect of a visit comes after Prime Minister Péter Magyar announced what he described as a “historic agreement” with Kyiv concerning the language, educational, cultural, and political rights of the approximately 100,000 ethnic Hungarians living in Transcarpathia.
The issue has long been a source of tension between the two countries and was repeatedly cited by the previous Hungarian government as a reason for opposing closer ties between Ukraine and the European Union.
Magyar has indicated that he is prepared to meet Zelensky once the agreement has been fully implemented, saying he would prefer such a meeting to take place “preferably in Transcarpathia.”
The agreement has also coincided with a significant change in Hungary’s position on Ukraine’s EU membership bid. EU ambassadors meeting in Brussels on June 3 launched the procedure to open the first negotiating cluster in accession talks with both Ukraine and Moldova, ending a prolonged stalemate that had delayed the process.
The development marks a departure from the approach of former prime minister Viktor Orbán, whose government frequently used Hungary’s veto powers to slow or block steps related to Ukraine’s accession efforts. Under Magyar, Budapest has signalled a greater willingness to support progress in the negotiations.
The policy shift has prompted speculation that improved relations with Brussels could strengthen Hungary’s efforts to secure access to EU funds that remain frozen over rule-of-law disputes, although the government has not publicly linked the two issues.
