Ukraine Seeks Reset of Strained Ties with Hungary

(MENAFN) Kyiv is prepared to launch a new and mutually beneficial chapter in Ukrainian-Hungarian relations "without delay," Ukraine's top diplomat declared Monday, signaling a fresh push to repair long-fractured bilateral ties.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha revealed that he engaged in a "constructive and substantive" phone conversation with his Hungarian counterpart Anita Orban over the weekend — a call that yielded concrete next steps.

Sybiha announced that both ministers agreed to convene Hungarian-Ukrainian expert-level consultations "as early as this week," with the talks aimed at forging practical and durable solutions for the Hungarian minority in Ukraine's Zakarpattia region — an issue he stressed "will benefit both countries and our bilateral relations."

Beyond minority rights, the ministers addressed Ukraine's EU accession trajectory alongside broader regional, European, and international matters, Sybiha confirmed via a post on US social media platform X.

The diplomatic outreach builds on momentum established in April, when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed readiness "to advance cooperation with Hungary" — a statement that followed the landmark electoral victory of Hungarian Prime Minister Magyar's Tisza Party in the country's parliamentary elections.

The renewed engagement marks a significant shift in a relationship long strained by disagreements over Ukraine's language laws, minority protections, and Kyiv's EU and NATO integration ambitions.

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