Hungarian Prime Minister-elect P\u00e9ter Magyar has invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to a meeting in early June in the Hungarian-majority town of Berehove (Beregsz\u00e1sz) in Ukraine\u2019s Transcarpathia region.<\/p>\n
After receiving Berehove Mayor Zolt\u00e1n Babj\u00e1k in Budapest, the leader of the incoming Tisza government said they agreed it is in the \u2018interest of Hungarians living in Transcarpathia\u2019 to place Hungarian\u2013Ukrainian relations on \u2018new foundations\u2019. He added that the planned meeting with Zelenskyy aims to \u2018improve the situation of Hungarians in Transcarpathia\u2019 and to support their ability to remain in their homeland.<\/p>\n
Magyar called on Ukraine to \u2018put an end\u2019 to restrictions on minority rights and to ensure that Transcarpathian Hungarians \u2018regain all their cultural, linguistic, administrative, and higher education rights\u2019, allowing them to once again become \u2018equal and respected citizens\u2019 of Ukraine. \u2018This would also help ensure that, once the war has ended, as many Hungarians from Transcarpathia as possible can return to their homeland,\u2019 he added.<\/p>\n
The prime minister-elect acknowledged that Kyiv has taken some steps in the right direction, but argued that \u2018higher education in Ukraine remains monolingual, final examinations are conducted in Ukrainian, and there has been no meaningful change in other areas of official language use.\u2019<\/p>\n
He stressed that official language use remains limited to Ukrainian in public administration, courts, and official procedures, meaning the Hungarian minority cannot request services in their mother tongue, even in majority-Hungarian settlements.<\/p>\n
He also pointed to continued restrictions in public life and culture, noting that while Hungarian-language events and media outlets are allowed to operate, they are subject to quotas and burdensome administrative requirements. \u2018In public appearances, officials\u2014such as school principals or mayors\u2014are still not free to use their mother tongue,\u2019 Magyar wrote in a post on X.<\/p>\n
I am initiating consultations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in early June in Transcarpathia.<\/p>\n
I received Zolt\u00e1n Babj\u00e1k, Mayor of Berehove, in my office, who briefed me on the situation of Hungarians in Transcarpathia and the horrors of the war.<\/p>\n
We agreed that it\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/Wwx6a2DwmX<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Magyar P\u00e9ter (Ne f\u00e9ljetek) (@magyarpeterMP) April 28, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n Restrictions on minority rights have long strained Hungarian\u2013Ukrainian relations. Tensions escalated in 2017, when Ukraine adopted an education law gradually replacing minority-language instruction with Ukrainian from the fifth grade onward, significantly affecting Transcarpathian Hungarians. Hungarian Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade P\u00e9ter Szijj\u00e1rt\u00f3 at the time said Kyiv had \u2018stabbed Hungary in the back,\u2019 while Budapest responded by blocking high-level NATO\u2013Ukraine meetings.<\/p>\n The dispute deepened with Ukraine\u2019s 2019 language law, which mandated the use of Ukrainian in most areas of public life. More recently, Kyiv has signalled plans to further tighten<\/a> enforcement by increasing fines for violations.<\/p>\n \u2018If we can resolve these issues, we can certainly open a new chapter in Hungarian\u2013Ukrainian bilateral relations,\u2019 Magyar said, encouraging Kyiv to \u2018take bold steps\u2019 in line with \u2018European values and genuine freedom and equality\u2019.<\/p>\n Zelenskyy previously congratulated Magyar and the Tisza Party on their electoral victory and signalled openness to dialogue with the incoming Hungarian government.<\/p>\n Related articles:<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t