Ukraine's EU deputy PM says relations with Hungary have 'turned the page' after Zelensky-Magyar meeting
In his first interview in Brussels after the EU summit, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Vsevolod Chentsov said Ukraine and Hungary have "turned the page" in their relationship, ending a period when Hungary created obstacles on Ukraine's path to the EU. He spoke after President Volodymyr Zelensky met Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar on October 16 and after Chentsov and Andriy Sybiha held a separate meeting with Anita Orbán, with both sides framing the encounter as the start of a bilateral reset.
Key points
- Hungary's veto on Ukraine's EU accession path fell last week, Chentsov said.
- Zelensky met Magyar on the sidelines of an October 16 EU summit in Brussels; both leaders called the meeting positive.
- After the presidential meeting, Chentsov and Andriy Sybiha held a separate meeting with Anita Orbán.
- Chentsov said Ukraine and Hungary aim to relaunch their bilateral intergovernmental commission and broaden cooperation beyond minority questions.
- Ukraine has a national-minorities roadmap covering Hungarian, Romanian and other communities, with planned 2026 amendments to the education law coordinated with the European Commission and the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities.
- Chentsov expressed hope Ukraine will open the next two EU accession clusters (4 and 5) and said he does not see significant problems that would lead Hungary to block them.
- Romania and Bulgaria, not only Hungary, have raised national-minorities questions in the accession process.
Why it matters
The lifting of Hungary's veto removes a major diplomatic obstacle on Ukraine's EU path, and a direct Zelensky–Magyar encounter is a notable shift after years of friction over minority rights. Chentsov's interview frames the moment as a reset: relaunching the bilateral commission, broadening cooperation beyond minority issues, and pressing ahead with the next two EU accession negotiation clusters. The minority-rights roadmap, including 2026 education-law amendments coordinated with the European Commission and the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, is presented as addressing not only Hungarian but also Romanian and other community concerns.
What happened
Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Vsevolod Chentsov, who took the post in July, gave his first interview to Yevropeiska Pravda in Brussels after the EU summit attended by Ukraine. He said Hungary's veto on Ukraine's EU accession path had fallen the previous week. On October 16, on the summit's sidelines, President Volodymyr Zelensky met Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar; Zelensky called the meeting "very good" and Magyar said it was in both countries' interests to put relations on a new basis. After that encounter, Chentsov and Andriy Sybiha held a separate meeting with Anita Orbán. Chentsov described the Zelensky–Magyar meeting as "very positive and warm" and said the two sides aim to relaunch their bilateral intergovernmental commission and broaden cooperation beyond minority issues.
Chentsov said Ukraine has a national-minorities roadmap that extends beyond the Hungarian community to Romanian and other minorities, and that it envisages 2026 amendments to the education law coordinated with the European Commission and the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities. He expressed hope Ukraine will open EU accession clusters 4 and 5, and said he does not currently see significant problems that would lead Hungary to block them. Chentsov also noted that, beyond Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria have raised national-minorities questions in the accession process.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Yevropeiska Pravda frames the interview around Ukrainian-led diplomatic achievements: Hungary's veto falling, a presidential encounter with Magyar, and a follow-up ministerial meeting with Anita Orbán. The coverage emphasizes that Ukraine's minority-rights roadmap and education-law plan extend beyond the Hungarian issue to Romanian and other minorities, and presents Ukraine as having addressed EU concerns. A reform-progress narrative is highlighted through Chentsov's expectation that Ukraine will open the next two EU accession negotiation clusters.
Background
Chentsov was appointed deputy prime minister for European integration in July, about three months before the interview. The education-law amendments envisaged for 2026 are coordinated with the European Commission and the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities. Beyond Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria have also raised national-minorities questions in the accession process.