Ukraine's deputy PM tells EU meeting national-minorities bill should not block accession clusters
Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Vsevolod Chentsov told an informal meeting of EU ministers for European affairs that Ukraine is making progress on national-minority rights, that draft legislation on national minorities will soon be presented to the Verkhovna Rada, and that the issue should not block the opening of remaining EU accession negotiation clusters. He framed Ukraine's relationship with Hungary over the file as cooperation rather than a dispute and urged adherence to the merit principle in cluster openings.
Key points
- Deputy PM Vsevolod Chentsov spoke before an informal meeting of EU ministers for European affairs on 4 September 2026.
- Chentsov said draft legislation on national minorities will soon be presented to the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament.
- He said Ukraine has agreed on a national-minorities plan and is implementing it without delays.
- Chentsov said the national-minorities issue should not be linked to the opening of EU accession negotiation clusters and called for adherence to the merit principle.
- He framed the situation with Hungary as cooperation, not a dispute, and said the issue concerns all national minorities, not only the Hungarian one.
- The European Commission is reported to believe Ukraine has met the conditions for opening all clusters; Hungary has previously expressed reservations about rapidly opening all six.
- Two of Ukraine's six clusters — cluster 1 and cluster 6 — had been opened as of the time of reporting.
Why it matters
The remarks set out Kyiv's position on the main point of friction with Budapest in the accession process: that national-minorities policy should be kept separate from cluster openings. A forthcoming bill to the Verkhovna Rada would implement a plan Ukraine says it has already agreed. Chentsov also tied Ukraine's EU bid to European security, pitching wartime experience as a contribution no other member state can match. With the Commission said to view Ukraine as ready for all clusters and Hungary still holding reservations, the statement is part of Ukraine's push to open the remaining clusters this year.
What happened
On 4 September 2026, Vsevolod Chentsov, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, addressed an informal meeting of EU ministers for European affairs. He said Ukraine is making good progress on national-minority rights and that the issue concerns all minorities in Ukraine, not only the Hungarian one. He described the file with Hungary as cooperation, not a dispute, and said a draft law on national minorities would soon be sent to the Verkhovna Rada. Chentsov said Ukraine has agreed a plan on national minorities and is implementing it without delays, and that the file should not be linked to the opening of accession negotiation clusters. He called for clusters to be opened on their merits and said Ukraine wants all clusters opened this year. He also argued that Ukraine's wartime experience represents a security contribution to the EU. Separately, the reporting cites Taras Kachka, nominated to head Ukraine's Mission to the EU, as saying Ukraine aims to complete accession as soon as possible and expects integration already in 2027. The European Commission is reported to believe Ukraine has met the conditions to open all clusters; Hungary has previously expressed reservations about opening all six at once. Two clusters — cluster 1 and cluster 6 — had been opened as of the time of reporting, and opening further clusters requires consensus among all EU member states.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Both Ukrainian agencies covering the meeting emphasized Chentsov's framing of progress and tolerance and the forthcoming national-minorities bill. The coverage presents the file with Hungary as an agreed plan being implemented on schedule rather than a bilateral dispute, and casts Ukraine as ready for further cluster openings.
Where reporting differs
The two Ukrainian agency articles frame the national-minorities file with Hungary as an agreed, workable process and stress Ukrainian progress. The underlying reporting itself notes that Hungary has previously expressed reservations about rapidly opening all six clusters, leaving a tension between Chentsov's 'not a dispute' language and Hungary's stated reservations.
Background
Two of Ukraine's EU accession negotiation clusters — cluster 1 and cluster 6 — had been opened as of the time of reporting. Opening additional clusters requires consensus among all EU member states, so a single country's reservations can delay the process. The European Commission is reported to view Ukraine as having met the conditions for opening all clusters, while Hungary has previously expressed reservations about a rapid opening of all six.