KYIV — Hungary has lifted its longtime opposition to Ukraine opening formal talks to join the European Union − offering a glimmer of hope to a country traumatized by war that sees membership as crucial to escaping the claws of Russia and securing a free, democratic future.
But even as Hungary lowered the roadblock imposed by then-Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who was voted out in April, his successor, Peter Magyar, said the country would continue to oppose a fast-track accession process sought by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Joining the E.U. can take decades as aspiring member countries work to overhaul to every aspect of their government and public administration to comply with European standards.
Ukraine also wants to join NATO, but with that path seemingly blocked by the United States − in part to assuage Russia, which is fiercely opposed to Ukraine entering the Western military alliance − Zelensky has said Ukraine must join the E.U. as soon as possible.
Magyar, however, said there would be no shortcuts.
“If Ukraine succeeds in closing all 33 accession chapters within the next 10 to 15 years, Hungary will support Ukraine’s accession, subject to a legally binding referendum,” he said in a statement.
Hungary agreed to drop its opposition to opening the formal accession talks after Kyiv and Budapest reached agreement to expand the rights of Ukraine’s ethnic Hungarian population — an issue that has complicated relations between the two countries.
Orban, while in office, bolstered his popularity by claiming to defend the rights of ethnic Hungarians beyond his country’s borders.
The fate of Ukraine’s Hungarian community, which numbers more than 100,000 and is concentrated in the southwestern Transcarpathia region, was a particular point of contention, which Orban used as justification to block numerous E.U. initiatives to aid Kyiv while it battled Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Late Wednesday, Magyar announced that the countries had reached a “comprehensive agreement” to expand “the linguistic, educational, cultural, and political rights” of Ukraine’s ethnic Hungarian community.
“In just three weeks, we have achieved what Viktor Orban and his government failed to achieve in ten years,” Magyar wrote on X.
Cyprus, which currently holds the E.U.’s rotating presidency, said it planned to move forward with the “formal opening” of the first stage of Ukraine’s formal membership talks, calling it a “significant milestone in their European integration path.”
The E.U.’s commissioner for enlargement, Marta Kos, meanwhile, called for accelerating talks with Ukraine and neighboring Moldova, saying that ethnic Hungarians living in Ukraine would be best-served by become E.U. citizens.
“This is the best way to ensure minority rights are respected,” Kos posted on social media.
Ukrainian officials sought to put the most positive spin on the developments despite Magyar’s suggestion of a 10- to 15-year horizon.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha thanked Hungary for its “constructive engagement.”
On Wednesday, NATO ambassadors from the alliance’s 32 member countries met in Kyiv for the first time to hold a session of the NATO-Ukraine Council, a group formed to aid Ukraine in its defense against Russia.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte directly addressed “young Russians and their families,” telling them that they were the victims of a “raw deal.”
“Men like you who join the fight — you won’t be trained,” Rutte said during a news conference with Zelensky. “Equipment they’ll provide you with is substandard. There is a very high chance you’ll die or be wounded while you’re out there.”
“And odds are that if you are wounded, you will be left to suffer in the mud and die,” Rutte said, adding that Russian forces were experiencing “absolutely staggering” losses.
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