Hungarian PM clashes with Ukraine over unconsulted Carpathian Eight membership

During the inaugural Carpathian Eight summit in Kyiv, Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar entered a heated exchange with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, who had criticized Budapest for its lack of participation. Magyar responded on social media, asserting that Hungary had been added to the Carpathian Integration group without its consent, a claim that sparked further tension. The row comes after a June deal between Magyar and President Volodymyr Zelensky on the rights of the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia, which Magyar hailed as historic, yet Hungary has repeatedly stalled Ukraine’s EU accession negotiations, mirroring the obstructionist policy of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party.

The controversy is also linked to a memorandum signed by state oil firm MOL and Ukraine’s Naftogaz on potential oil storage in Hungary, which faced criticism from Fidesz and was distanced from by Magyar’s administration. Analysts note that while the Carpathian Eight aims to boost regional economic and security cooperation, internal Hungarian political pressures are shaping a confrontational stance toward Kyiv. Observers suggest that the expectation of a policy shift after Orbán’s electoral defeat has not materialized.