Hungary-Ukraine minority rights deal paves way for EU accession talks
Hungary says it has reached a deal with Ukraine to expand the rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine’s Zakarpattia region, a move it says could clear the way for the EU to begin accession talks with Kyiv. Kyiv has not publicly confirmed the agreement. If translated into Ukrainian law soon, Hungary would back opening the first negotiating cluster in Kyiv’s EU accession talks, though PM Peter Magyar warned that Ukraine would need to complete all 33 negotiation chapters, potentially taking 10–15 years and possibly prompting a Hungarian referendum. Meanwhile, EU ambassadors moved forward with the process to launch accession talks for Ukraine and Moldova, signaling continued momentum on enlargement.