The Hungarian Prime Minister is conditioning a meeting with Zelensky on an agreement on minorities.

Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar stated on Wednesday that he could meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as early as June, provided an agreement is reached on the rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine. This prospect signals a more conciliatory tone in relations between Budapest and Kyiv.

This statement comes during an official visit to Poland, which the Hungarian leader hopes to use to revive relations between Hungary and the European Union. These ties have been severely strained in recent years under his predecessor, Viktor Orban, particularly due to tensions related to the war in Ukraine and Budapest's relations with Moscow.

At the heart of the discussions between Hungary and Ukraine is the situation of approximately 150,000 ethnic Hungarians living in Ukraine. Budapest is demanding guarantees regarding their right to use their native language, a condition the Hungarian government considers essential in the context of negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the European Union.

Peter Magyar indicated that he hoped for a swift and positive conclusion to these discussions. He mentioned the possibility of a meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky in early June in the city of Berehove, located in western Ukraine, home to a large Hungarian community.

In this context, Kyiv and Budapest began online consultations between their foreign ministers on Wednesday, a step presented as a sign of resumption of diplomatic dialogue between the two countries.

Furthermore, Poland offered its assistance in diversifying Hungary's energy sources, a sensitive issue in relations between Budapest and Brussels. Hungary's dependence on Russian energy imports was one of the main points of contention between the European Union and the previous Hungarian government.