Meeting of ministers of Hungary and Ukraine. In the background is Ukraine's accession to the EU

On Monday, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Hungary and Ukraine, Peter Szijjarto and Dmytro Kuleba, met in Brussels. It was the first confrontation between politicians since Russia's aggression in February 2022. The talks lasted an hour. The main topic was primarily the issue of Kyiv's accession to the EU, which Budapest opposes.

I have not met Dmytro Kuleba in person since the outbreak of the war, although before February last year we had constant relations, we often met and talked, because we both wanted to improve relations between Hungary and Ukraine

Szijjarto wrote after the meeting.

He also recalled that relations between the countries have been tense since 2015 due to the regulations introduced restricting the rights of the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia.

Meeting of the foreign ministers of Ukraine and Hungary

He admitted that he talked with a Ukrainian politician about Kyiv's accession to the EU. "I told my colleague that this is not a tactical step for us, but a decision that has historical significance for the future of the entire European Union" Szijjarto wrote.

"The proposal for a decision is unprepared, the European Commission has practically no idea what impact Ukraine's membership in the EU will have on the entire community. Just consider what problems the previous decision of the European Commission caused, regarding the transit of grain or the abolition of compulsory licenses for Ukrainian trucks" - delivered by a politician.

He added that "the European Commission has not completed the preparatory work that could have guaranteed that Ukraine would continue accession negotiations in a mutually beneficial manner".

The head of Hungarian diplomacy assured that both politicians are committed "to the further development of bilateral relations".

In turn, Kuleba wrote on Instagram after the meeting that he had a “long and honest conversation” with Szijjarto.

We have known each other for a long time, although this is actually the first time since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion that we sat down and had an honest conversation

said the head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry.

"I told Peter clearly: we have a common future in Europe. We have to get there as soon as possible together" - he added.

Hungary is against Ukraine's accession to the European Union

The talks between the parties are to be continued before the meeting of the European Council in Brussels scheduled for December 14-15, which will also be the last meeting this year.

After the meeting with Kuleba, the head of Hungarian diplomacy held talks with the Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine, Olha Stefanishyna, in Brussels.

There are many ways to strengthen cooperation between the European Union and Ukraine, but the EU is not ready to start accession negotiations today. This is the reality

the Hungarian politician wrote after the meeting.

Hungary is against Ukraine's accession to the European Union, so the country cannot join the community. The decision of the Member States must be unanimous.

European diplomats believe that Orbán is withholding support for Ukraine because he wants to put pressure on Brussels to release billions of euros of EU support for Budapest, frozen over the rule of law dispute.