Due to the exposure of spies: Orban explained why he canceled the meeting with Ukraine regarding the national minority
Hungary has canceled a meeting with Ukrainian representatives on the rights of its national minority due to the detention by the Security Service of Ukraine of two residents of Transcarpathia suspected of spying for Budapest, Hungarian Deputy Foreign Minister Levente Magyar said.
On April 29, the official met with Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration and Minister of Justice Olga Stefanishyna in Budapest. According to Magyar, during a "polite conversation," he and the Ukrainian official agreed to continue work at the expert level on May 12.
However, on the evening of May 10, he decided to cancel the new meeting because he believes that "the events of the last few days in Hungarian-Ukrainian relations do not allow for good-faith, constructive negotiations on such an important and delicate topic as minority rights."
"The fact that a "special operation" was carried out in Transcarpathia on Friday on the basis of accusations of espionage, which the Ukrainian side immediately announced to a wide media audience – three days before the decisive meeting – calls into question the sincerity of intentions to resolve unresolved issues," the Hungarian official claims.
Magyar added that Hungary would "see what happens in the coming days." The official said his country "remains ready for dialogue."
The day before, the Ukrainian Ministry of Justice announced that the Hungarian side had postponed the meeting scheduled for May 12 in Uzhhorod (read more about Hungary's demands on Ukraine here).
- On May 9, 2025, the SBU reported that for the first time in the history of Ukraine, it had exposed Hungarian military intelligence agents who were spying in the Transcarpathian region.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Szijjártó reacted to this statement and accused Ukraine of using anti-Hungarian propaganda.
- Szijjártó later announced the expulsion of two Ukrainian diplomats, accusing them of espionage. Ukraine responded in kind and expelled Hungarian diplomats.
On May 10, it became known that Hungarian authorities had detained and deported a Ukrainian whom Budapest accuses of espionage. Foreign Ministry spokesman Tykhy called on Hungary to "put an end to senseless anti-Ukrainian hysteria."
- It should be noted that the conflict between the authorities of Hungary and Ukraine has been going on for a long time due to the fact that Budapest has consistently blocked Kyiv's European integration.
