Hungary said a meeting between Prime Minister Péter Magyar and President Volodymyr Zelensky will depend on progress in talks on the Hungarian minority in Ukraine.
According to Euronews on Wednesday, government officials said technical consultations between Budapest and Kyiv are underway, but no high-level meeting has been scheduled.
“A personal meeting between Péter Magyar and Volodymyr Zelensky will be possible if Ukraine fulfils the Hungarian side’s demands regarding the situation of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine,” government representatives said during a briefing.
The fate of Zakarpattia’s ethnic Hungarian community – estimated at around 70,000-80,000 people – has been a persistent flashpoint in relations between Kyiv and Budapest. Hungary has cited concerns about the minority’s welfare as grounds for blocking Ukraine’s closer integration with the EU and NATO, while disputes over language rights, conscription, and dual citizenship have kept tensions simmering.
Hungarian officials have suggested the city of Berehove in Zakarpattia as a possible venue for a future meeting.
Technical talks underway
Hungarian Foreign Minister Anita Orbán and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha agreed to begin expert-level talks related to minority rights.
Orbán said both sides had appointed negotiating teams and would begin discussions online.
“These discussions can create an important foundation for a reassuring resolution of minority rights issues as soon as possible,” Orbán added.
Sybiha described his call with Orbán as “constructive.”
“We are ready to cooperate with Hungary’s new government on all issues on our bilateral agenda, including national minorities, in order to restore trust and good neighbourly relations between our countries,” he said.
Sybiha also thanked Hungary for summoning the Russian ambassador after a recent drone attack on Zakarpattia.
Review of diplomatic passports
Hungary’s government is also facing scrutiny at home over the misuse of diplomatic passports under former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
Government spokesperson Vanda Szondi said the foreign ministry recommended revoking 943 diplomatic and service passports issued without sufficient justification.
Officials said they reviewed more than 1,300 documents as part of the process.
The review follows public scrutiny after violinist Zoltán Mága said he held a diplomatic passport and used it for international travel.
The Hungarian government said the review would examine the legal basis and approval process used to issue the passports.