Hungary refuses to support Ukraine in all international forums until Kyiv guarantees the rights of Hungarians

Hungary refuses to support Ukraine on any international forum until Kyiv reinstates laws guaranteeing the rights of Transcarpathian Hungarians.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban made this statement while addressing the Hungarian parliament on the first day of the autumn session.

“For several years, Ukraine has oppressed Hungarian schools, attempting to convert them into Ukrainian schools or, failing that, to close them down. The Hungarian government is fighting for the rights of Transcarpathian Hungarians, especially children, on every international forum. We will not support Ukraine on any issue in international affairs until they restore the previous laws that guaranteed the rights of Transcarpathian Hungarians,” Orban stated.

He also reported that “the new Ukrainian school leadership in Mukachevo” prohibits students from singing the Hungarian national anthem and wearing clothing in Hungarian national colors.

The Hungarian authorities regularly accuse Ukraine of violating the rights of approximately 150,000 ethnic Hungarians in Transcarpathia due to a law passed in 2017 that restricts minority language education. The Cabinet of Ministers recently announced that Ukraine is willing to make “additional amendments” to the law on secondary education in minority languages, including Hungarian, to facilitate negotiations for EU accession.