Ukraine and Hungary agree to hold round of consultations this week

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has agreed with his Hungarian counterpart Anita Orbán to hold a round of Ukrainian-Hungarian consultations at expert level later this week and discussed Ukraine's accession to the European Union.

Sybiha said that during a phone call with Orbán, he confirmed that Ukraine was ready "without delay" to "open a new, mutually beneficial chapter in Ukrainian-Hungarian relations".

"We are prepared to work with the new Hungarian government on all issues of our bilateral agenda, including the national minority topic, with the aim of restoring trust and good-neighbourly relations between our countries," Sybiha wrote on X.

During the conversation, the ministers agreed to hold a round of Hungarian-Ukrainian consultations at expert level later this week in order to "find practical and robust solutions for the Hungarian minority in Zakarpattia Oblast, which will benefit both countries and our bilateral relations".

They also discussed broader regional, European and international issues.

"I touched upon the issue of Ukraine's EU accession path and reiterated our readiness for the sooner opening of negotiation clusters," Sybiha added.

On 13 May, Russia carried out a large-scale attack on Ukraine, during which drones caused damage to facilities in Zakarpattia Oblast [which is the furthest one from the border with Russia – ed.].

Anita Orbán said at the time that she "strongly condemned" the Russian attack.

The following day, she held a conversation lasting approximately half an hour with Yevgeny Stanislavov, Russia's ambassador to Hungary, expressing protest over Russia's strikes on Zakarpattia.

Orbán's predecessor Péter Szijjártó did not summon the Russian ambassador following Russian attacks on Zakarpattia, which drew criticism from independent Hungarian media.