Hungary: We will block Ukraine’s NATO initiatives until the rights of Transcarpathian Hungarians are restored
UNN news agency reports that Hungary will continue to oppose interaction between Ukraine and NATO, as Budapest continues to demand Ukraine "restore the rights" of Transcarpathian Hungarians.
According to the Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Péter Szijjártó, the country is presently under significant international pressure to reconsider Budapest’s blocking of further negotiations between NATO and Ukraine.
"Hungary will not succumb to international pressure and will not sacrifice on the altar of geopolitical interests the rights of the Hungarian people who live in Ukraine," the Minister said.
The Budapest authorities believe that if the blocking is lifted, Hungary will lose a tool to protect the rights of Hungarians in Ukraine.
"Hungary will continue to veto Ukraine's accession to NATO until it resumes the rights previously granted to national minorities. If Hungary were to succumb and "refuse" the right of veto, it would be left without tools to protect the rights of Hungarians who live in Ukraine," Szijjártó said.
In his opinion, Ukraine could act to withdraw Hungary’s veto if it restores the rights of Transcarpathian Hungarians.
Hungary has blocked meetings of the Ukraine-NATO Commission three times over the past six months. Hungarian authority representatives previously promised to block any meeting between Ukraine and the European Union in every possible way due to the adoption of language provisions under a new law on education that entered into force on September 28, 2017.