Hungary’s New Leader Seeks to Fix Ties With Ukraine Over Minority Issues

Hungary’s freshly elected prime minister, Péter Magyar, wants to sit down with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in western Ukraine to talk about the rights of ethnic Hungarians living there. Magyar, who just took office after beating Viktor Orbán’s 16-year rule, isn’t as hostile to Ukraine as his predecessor was. Still, he’s not rushing to support Ukraine’s fast track into the EU. His main condition? Ukraine must stop restricting the rights of Hungarians in Transcarpathia—especially their language, schools, and local government powers.Magyar’s push comes after meeting the mayor of Berehove, a town where Hungarians make up most of the population. He argues that fixing these issues could convince many who fled the war to come back once the fighting stops. But Ukraine’s recent promise to ease education rules by 2025? That’s not enough, according to Magyar. He wants bigger changes that align with European standards of freedom and fairness. Ukraine hasn’t slammed the door on talks yet. Zelenskiy has already congratulated Magyar and said Kyiv is open to working together. But with Hungary’s new leader pushing for more concessions, the question remains: Can Budapest and Kyiv really bridge their differences, or will old tensions resurface?