Ukraine in active dialogue with new Hungarian leadership, expects bilateral breakthrough

Zelenskyy and Sybiha have now reportedly updated Ukraine's European foreign policy agenda for May and June.

"At the team level, we are maintaining an active dialogue with Hungary’s new authorities, and there are prospects for a constructive reset of relations," Zelenskyy said. "The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and other government officials are preparing for a format of bilateral consultations with Hungary."

The leader added that he expects concrete results from the process.

The president also discussed with Sybiha Ukraine's work with European institutions to open new negotiating clusters in Ukraine's EU accession process, stressing that Ukraine had "taken the necessary steps, and it is important to have a clear timeline for the processes."

Sybiha also briefed Zelenskyy on communications with Georgia's foreign minister.

"Separate tasks have been defined regarding negotiations to end Russia’s war and Europe’s possible representation in this process," Zelenskyy said.

On May 18, Sybiha said he had agreed with Hungarian Foreign Minister Anita Orbán to hold expert-level bilateral consultations this week.

"We are prepared to work with the new Hungarian government on all issues of our bilateral agenda, including the national minority topic, with the aim of restoring trust and good-neighborly relations between our countries," Sybiha said, adding that he had confirmed Ukraine's readiness to "open a new, mutually beneficial chapter in Ukrainian-Hungarian relations without delay."

That same day, Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar told European Council President António Costa in a phone call that Budapest had begun negotiations with Ukraine over legal guarantees for the ethnic Hungarian community in Zakarpattya Oblast, a western Ukrainian region bordering Hungary.

Hungary's new parliament held its inaugural session on May 9, when lawmakers elected in April were sworn in and formally chose Magyar as prime minister.

Magyar apologized for the actions of the previous government and called on Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok to resign, saying he had "failed to resist the mistakes" of Viktor Orbán's administration.

Magyar also lifted the state of emergency that Orbán had declared citing "the threat of war," declaring that the country was "returning to normal life."