Ukraine and Hungary Agree to Discuss Minority Rights

Why this is here: Approximately 150,000 people with Hungarian heritage currently reside in the westernmost region of Ukraine, close to the Hungarian border.

Andriy Sibihа, Ukraine’s foreign minister, announced on May 18th that Ukraine and Hungary will discuss discrimination against the Hungarian minority in western Ukraine. Sibihа stated they reached an agreement with his Hungarian counterpart to find solutions to the issues. He also wrote that Ukraine is prepared to cooperate with the Hungarian government on all matters—including minority rights—to restore trust and relations between the two countries.

About 150,000 people of Hungarian descent live in western Ukraine, near the border. The dispute began in 2017 when Ukraine mandated Ukrainian language use for secondary school teachers. Anita Orbán, Hungary’s foreign minister, indicated that a meeting of the two countries’ negotiating teams may occur online as early as May 20th.

Prime Minister Péter Magyar recently requested a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, suggesting a resolution could open a new chapter in Ukrainian-Hungarian relations. The issue of minority rights has been repeatedly raised by former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán when criticizing the EU and Ukraine.