Hungary announces deal with Ukraine on minority rights, clearing Kyiv’s path to EU entry talks

Key Points:

• Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar announced a deal with Kyiv to enhance the rights of around 100,000 ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine’s Zakarpattia region, potentially clearing the way for the EU to start accession talks with Ukraine.
• The agreement addresses longstanding tensions over minority rights, with Hungary agreeing to support opening the first negotiating cluster in Ukraine’s EU accession talks if the measures are incorporated into Ukrainian law.
• Magyar tempered expectations about rapid EU membership for Ukraine, suggesting a possible referendum in Hungary if accession negotiations take 10 to 15 years to conclude.
• EU ambassadors have formally advanced Ukraine and Moldova’s membership bids by launching the process for opening the first negotiating cluster, a key step praised by EU officials as a historic milestone.
• The EU is expected to formally approve the common position on the cluster next week, enabling intergovernmental conferences on June 15 to officially move accession talks forward, pending unanimous approval from all 27 member states.