Ukraine moves closer to EU accession after Hungary deal
dw.com • • world
Key Points:
- Hungary and Ukraine reached an agreement on the rights of Ukraine's ethnic Hungarian minority, resolving a long-standing issue that strained bilateral relations and paving the way for Ukraine’s EU accession progress.
- The deal improves educational, linguistic, cultural, and political rights for over 100,000 ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine’s Transcarpathia region and will be incorporated into Ukraine's minority action plan submitted to the EU.
- Following the agreement, the EU announced it would advance Ukraine and Moldova to the next stage of membership negotiations, focusing on key reforms such as rule of law and judicial standards.
- Despite the breakthrough, Hungary opposes a fast-tracked accession process, insisting Ukraine complete all 33 accession chapters over 10 to 15 years and hold a legally binding referendum in Hungary to approve membership.
- The deal ended former Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s veto on Kyiv’s EU bid, marking a significant milestone in Ukraine’s European integration amid its ongoing conflict with Russia.