Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister spoke with Hungarian Foreign Minister

Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, spoke with Szijjarto Peter, Hungarian Foreign Minister, on Monday. Source: European Pravda, citing Stefanishyna on Twitter (X). According to the deputy prime minister, during an "important exchange of views" with Szijjarto, they discussed in detail "the steps of reforms that Ukraine has taken within the framework of the seven criteria" of the European Commission, with a special focus on protecting the rights of national minorities.

"On Friday, the Ukrainian parliament voted for important changes to industry legislation developed in the process of a broad inclusive dialogue.

We agreed to work together with the Hungarian side to ensure its proper implementation," she added. Stefanishyna also expressed hope that she would meet with Szijjarto in Kyiv "one of these days". The Hungarian Foreign Minister briefly reported about the meeting on Facebook, essentially seconding Stefanishyna's statement, as well as after the previous conversation with Dmytro Kuleba.

"There are many ways to strengthen cooperation between the European Union and Ukraine, but the community is not ready to start accession negotiations today. This is the reality," he said. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is known for opposing the opening of negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the EU, and does not even want this issue to be discussed at the summit; he also does not want to support the EUR 50 billion multi-year financial support instrument and the EU's military support programme for Ukraine.

At the same time, contacts between Kyiv and Budapest intensified on the eve of the European Council meeting on 14-15 December. Among other things, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with the Hungarian prime minister on Sunday at the inauguration of the Argentine president, and the foreign ministers of Ukraine and Hungary, Dmytro Kuleba and Peter Szijjarto, held their first face-to-face meeting since the start of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. Last week, Andrii Yermak, Head of the President's Office, spoke to Szijjarto by phone.

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