What demands Kyiv must meet to unlock EU accession talks and which Hungarian condition is the most difficult
4 June is a special day in Hungary. Every Hungarian knows the date, and it does not evoke pleasant memories. More than a century ago, on this day, Hungary signed the Treaty of Trianon, accepting the loss of two-thirds of its territory. But on 4 June 2026, Hungary's new government sought to give the date a more positive meaning.
Prime Minister Péter Magyar announced what he described as a breakthrough for ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine, declaring that his government had reached a "full agreement" with Kyiv on their rights. The day before, Hungary had lifted its veto on Ukraine's progress towards EU membership.
Read more about the agreement and the next steps in Ukraine's EU accession process in the article by Sergiy Sydorenko, European Pravda's editor: Not just about Transcarpathia: details of the "deal" with Hungarythat could reopen Ukraine's path to the EU.
As early as Monday, 15 June, a historic event is expected to take place in Luxembourg: representatives of Ukraine and all 27 EU member states will hold an intergovernmental conference to open the first negotiating cluster in Ukraine's accession talks.
EU affairs ministers from all 27 member states and Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration, Taras Kachka, will gather ahead of a meeting of the EU General Affairs Council to formally announce the opening of the first cluster.
As is well known, this breakthrough became possible only after the change of government in Hungary. However, Hungary's decision is not yet final. Magyar's government has agreed only to begin the preparatory process for opening the first cluster with Ukraine, while reserving the right to withdraw its approval.
That is because Hungary's key condition for unblocking Ukraine's accession process has not yet been fulfilled.
Magyar made this clear when announcing the agreement with Kyiv: "Ukraine must align its action plan with the results of the Hungarian-Ukrainian negotiations... If that happens, the Hungarian government will agree to the opening of the first cluster of accession talks between the EU and Ukraine."
By 12 June, the Ukrainian government must amend the relevant action plan, after which Hungary will review the changes and confirm whether they meet Budapest's demands.
The "action plan" referred to by Magyar is a government document adopted in May 2025, officially titled "Action Plan for the Protection of the Rights of Persons Belonging to National Minorities (Communities) of Ukraine".
Most of its provisions require legislative amendments.
As a result, Ukraine's parliament will have to make decisions on a number of politically sensitive issues.
Kyiv and Budapest agreed to divide all minority-related concerns into three categories: education-related issues, minority settlement areas and language rights and socio-political rights.
This classification originates from the "Szijjártó's 11 Points" – a list of Hungarian demands previously presented to Ukraine by former Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó under Viktor Orbán's government.
Among the eleven demands, the most controversial was Point 11.
It originally read: "We request the unrestricted use of minority languages during parliamentary and local elections and referendums, the removal of restrictions on the use of minority languages in public life and guarantees of parliamentary representation."
Kyiv has agreed to implement part of this demand, naturally, only in villages and towns where ethnic Hungarians live in significant numbers.
In the final stage of negotiations, Ukraine and Hungary reached a compromise that can reasonably be regarded as a success for Kyiv as well.
This is reflected in the noticeable change in Hungary's rhetoric.
Most importantly, Hungary has committed itself to lifting its veto not only on the first negotiating cluster, but on all six clusters of Ukraine's EU accession talks.