Hungary maintains veto on Ukraine’s EU accession over minority rights concerns

Hungary’s Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto announced on March 22 that Hungary would not lift its veto on Ukraine's accession to the European Union, citing ongoing concerns over the treatment of the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia, a region in western Ukraine.

The minister made the remarks following a telephone conversation with Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

On his official Facebook page, Szijjarto emphasized that the Hungarian government continues to see the rights of the Hungarian community in Transcarpathia as a critical issue. Despite repeated promises from Ukraine, he argued that Kyiv has failed to restore minority rights since 2015, which he believes contradicts the European values that the EU stands for.

"As long as this sad situation persists, there can be no question of any progress in negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU," Szijjarto stated.

Hungary’s stance has caused tensions within the EU as Ukraine continues its push to join the bloc. Szijjarto reiterated that Hungary would not support Ukraine’s EU ambitions or any new military aid packages to Ukraine unless the rights of ethnic Hungarians in Transcarpathia are fully restored.

Earlier in the month, on March 17, Szijjarto also declared that Hungary would block a new €20 billion military assistance package for Ukraine. This followed reports on March 14 indicating that the EU was planning to create a voluntary fund for military aid to Ukraine, ranging from €20-40 billion, in an attempt to bypass Hungary's veto. The fund would rely on contributions based on each country’s economic weight, and the EU would also consider the €1.9 billion from frozen Russian assets as part of its contribution.

By Khagan Isayev