Hungarian president: Kyiv must address rights of ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine to continue receiving Budapest's support

09:19, 09.11.2023 1 min read

Hungary does not see progress on the issue of respecting the rights of ethnic Hungarians living in Ukraine, and considers it necessary to resolve this issue for Budapest to continue supporting Kiev, Hungarian President Katalin Novak said on Wednesday.

"I also see now unfortunately in Zakarpattia region… that these minority rights are still not guaranteed. I don't see a positive evolution in that regard," Novak said at a joint press conference with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels.

The Ukrainian authorities need to focus on the situation around the rights of the ethnic Hungarian minority in order to maintain positive interaction with Budapest, Novak said.

The President of Hungary also said regarding the Russian war against Ukraine: "We must remember that the ultimate goal is a peaceful solution. At the moment, I have no understanding of how it could be achieved."

At the same time, Novak, explaining Hungary's position, said that "we need to look for ways to peace, to the start of the negotiation process."