Magyar: Ukraine’s EU accession is a “long and complex process” that could take many years

Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar has warned that the start of accession negotiations with Ukraine, scheduled for June 15, is only the first step in a process that could stretch on for many years.

He also stated a clear condition: if Kyiv fails to fulfill its commitments, the process will be halted.

Magyar confirmed that Hungary has withdrawn its objections to the start of negotiations on June 15 following an agreement on the restoration of the rights of the Hungarian minority in Zakarpattia. In a video address broadcast on national television channels, he explained the substance of the deal.

“Ukraine has officially incorporated the provisions of the Hungarian-Ukrainian bilateral agreement into its action plan prepared as part of the EU accession process. This means that the fulfillment of Ukraine’s obligations included in the Hungarian-Ukrainian legal agreement on the rights of the Hungarian minority in Zakarpattia will now be aligned with EU expectations,” Magyar stated.

The Hungarian prime minister placed particular emphasis on the monitoring mechanism: Ukraine’s fulfillment of its obligations regarding the rights of the Hungarian minority will be continuously tracked by the European Commission and the European Council.

“If Ukraine does not fulfill its obligations regarding the rights of the Hungarian minority, it will not be able to advance in the accession process,” he explained.

As an illustration of how lengthy the path to membership can be, Magyar cited the example of Montenegro: its EU accession process began in 2012, yet despite significant progress, the country is still not a member of the bloc. Magyar has previously stated on multiple occasions that he opposes an accelerated accession of Ukraine to the EU.

The issue of the rights of the Hungarian minority in Zakarpattia has become one of the main sources of tension between the two countries. The previous Hungarian government, led by Viktor Orbán, had for years demanded that Kyiv restore these rights, warning that it would otherwise block Ukraine’s EU accession. Budapest pointed out that since 2015, ethnic Hungarians living in Zakarpattia had been stripped of a number of rights, including the right to use their native language in the areas of culture and education.

At the EU summit in Brussels on June 26, 2025, Orbán blocked a joint statement in support of Ukraine that would have given the green light to the start of accession negotiations. Magyar is now seeking to normalize relations between the two neighboring countries.