Ukrainian foreign ministry: Hungary guided by imperial thinking

Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister for European Integration Olena Zerkal has subjected to criticism actions of Budapest. Speaking on air of Pryamyi TV channel, she reproached Hungary for being guided by the Austro-Hungarian Empire thinking in its relations with Ukraine.

“This is about not only elections, or Ukraine, this is about their relations with the European Union. This is about questions of migration policy. Even at the UN, they have taken a position that is completely different from the EU stance on drafting a framework paper on migration issues. Ukraine has nothing to do with it in this case. But this is how they position themselves now. And nothing can be done with it. Until the Orban government is in power, we will have to work with what we have,” Zerkal stressed.

“To my mind, the EU already has a headache with Hungary, but they usually have a headache with Poland as well, it makes them perplexed, as these are newcomers that must establish basic features of lawful states, but things are going not as they planned to,” the deputy minister added.

At the same time, the diplomat noted that one of the reasons for Hungarian position towards Ukraine is the Treaty of Trianon signed in July 1920 on defining borders of the states replacing the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

“This is all about imperial thinking… And how they were divided under the treaty, how many of the remained in the territory of Hungary, where Hungarians were left…” she continued adding the Hungary has claims against Romania and Slovakia as well.

“The things are even worse in Slovakia. They insist that they need an autonomy there and education in Hungarian only,” the deputy minister said.

Besides, she believes that decentralization is needed in Transcarpathia to let communities unite and allow them taking local governance functions. Zerkal believes, after the decentralization, “the Hungarian community will not be capable of doing everything on its own.”