Hungary has reached an agreement with Ukraine on restoring and expanding the rights of the Hungarian minority living in the Transcarpathia region, a move that could help advance Ukraine’s long-stalled bid to begin accession negotiations with the European Union.
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Announcing the development, Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar said the agreement was the result of several weeks of intensive negotiations between Hungarian and Ukrainian experts. Representatives of Hungarian political organizations in Transcarpathia and church groups also participated in the discussions.
⚡️ Budapest has reached an agreement with Kyiv on the rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine.
This opens the way for Ukraine’s EU accession. Hungary will no longer block it. pic.twitter.com/TocobQceQO
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) June 3, 2026
According to Magyar, the agreement covers a broad range of rights for the Hungarian community, including linguistic, educational, cultural and political protections. He said the measures are intended to benefit hundreds of thousands of ethnic Hungarians residing in western Ukraine.
The Hungarian prime minister stated that the Ukrainian government has pledged to incorporate the agreed provisions into its domestic legislation in the near future. He added that these commitments would also be reflected in Ukraine’s action plan related to its European Union integration efforts.
Magyar said that if Ukraine follows through on the agreed reforms, Hungary would support the opening of the first cluster of negotiations regarding Ukraine’s membership application to the European Union. The issue of minority rights has long been a point of contention between Budapest and Kyiv and has previously complicated Ukraine’s EU aspirations.
Despite the breakthrough, Hungary maintained its position against fast-tracking Ukraine’s accession process. Magyar stressed that Budapest does not support accelerated membership talks and believes the process should proceed according to established EU standards and requirements.
He also suggested that if Ukraine successfully completes all chapters of accession negotiations in the coming years, Hungary would hold a national referendum on the issue. According to Magyar, the outcome of such a vote would be legally binding for the Hungarian government.
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The agreement marks a potentially significant step in improving relations between the two neighboring countries while supporting Ukraine’s broader efforts to move closer to European Union membership.