"This policy undermines the unity of Ukraine": what can Kiev's pressure on the Hungarians of Transcarpathia lead to

The Ukrainian authorities have created a "situation of civil war" in Transcarpathia.

This was announced by the MEPs from the ruling parties in Hungary "Fidesz" and KDNP (Christian Democratic People's Party).

Hungarian deputies recalled the recent events in Transcarpathia, where on November 30 the SBU conducted searches in several Hungarian organizations, in particular in the Hungarian Cultural Association of Transcarpathia (KMKSZ), in the charitable foundation “Transcarpathian Center for Economic Development“ Egan Ede ”and at the leader of KMKSZ Vasyl Brenzovich.

• Rally of supporters of the Hungarian party "Fides"

• Reuters

• © Laszlo Balogh

According to the MEPs, the actions of the Ukrainian security forces have become part of an "unacceptable process" in which Kiev violates the rights of national minorities.

The deputies are confident that the searches by the SBU were politically motivated and aimed at intimidation and pressure on the Hungarian community.

The authors of the statement drew attention to the fact that earlier KMKSZ protested against the new Ukrainian laws on language and education.

The association argued that the adoption of these norms would have negative consequences for the national minorities of Ukraine.

“In Transcarpathia, the Ukrainian authorities have created a situation of civil war.

We consider this shameful and deeply condemn the use of armed force by the Ukrainian authorities against the leaders and organizations of the Hungarian community in Transcarpathia, ”the MEPs said in a statement.

Such phenomena are unacceptable in a country that is associated with the European Union and is going to join it and NATO, the deputies stressed.

They called on the European Parliament to include this "unprecedented violation" on the agenda of the December plenary meeting.

As the leading researcher of RISS Oleg Nemensky noted in the RT commentary, such a reaction of Hungarian politicians is quite natural.

“Hungary is tough on cases of violation of the rights of ethnic Hungarians abroad.

In Ukraine, the Hungarian minority has retained its language and identity.

Therefore, it is difficult to assimilate it, although Kiev is striving for it.

Initially, it was assumed that the new language policy of Ukraine would not affect the Hungarian community in practice, but the pressure is still being carried out.

And for Hungary, the issue of protecting Hungarians is a matter of honor.

Otherwise, the Hungarian government will lose support within the country, ”the expert explained.

"Bilateral dispute"

On the eve of the Ukrainian media reported that the prosecutor's office is preparing a suspicion for the head of KMKSZ Vasily Brenzovich.

The chairman of the Transcarpathian Regional State Administration Aleksey Petrov told the journalists about this.

“Now, based on the results of the searches, examinations are being conducted.

I held a meeting with law enforcement officers - they are sure to be suspected (the basis for instituting criminal proceedings -.

) », - said Petrov.

In turn, the SBU issued a statement that the leadership of the Hungarian charitable foundation "Transcarpathian Center for Economic Development" Egan Ede "is suspected of causing harm to the state security of Ukraine.

Now the special services are studying the "possible interference" of the fund in the internal affairs of the country.

We are talking about attempts to "fake spread" Hungarian legislation to certain regions of Ukraine.

The SBU is also studying the facts of assistance to a foreign state by certain public figures.

They are suspected of "supporting the state bodies of a neighboring country in conducting subversive activities to the detriment of Ukraine, in particular in committing acts with signs of treason."

• SBU officers

• RIA News

• © Gleb Garanich

According to the SBU, during the searches, printed materials were found popularizing the idea of ​​creating ethnic autonomy in Transcarpathia and "Greater Hungary" - this is the name of the hypothetical idea of ​​Hungarian nationalists to unite all territories inhabited by ethnic Hungarians.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Siyarto reacted to the searches.

On his Facebook page, the minister called the actions of the Ukrainian security forces "unacceptable" and said that he had summoned the Ambassador of Ukraine to Hungary Lyubov Nepop to express her dissatisfaction with Budapest.

At the same time, the head of the Hungarian Foreign Ministry added that during a meeting with NATO representatives he intends to discuss further blocking the work of the structures of the alliance with Ukraine.

The next day, December 2, this topic was raised at a briefing following the meeting of the NATO foreign ministers.

Answering the question of journalists whether the alliance intends to mediate between Ukraine and Hungary, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called the Ukrainian-Hungarian friction a bilateral issue.

“I will not go into the details of the secret discussion at the NATO ministerial meeting.

I can only say (and this is widely known) that there is a bilateral dispute between Hungary and Ukraine.

I hope they can resolve it, ”Stoltenberg said.

Meanwhile, according to political scientist and economist Alexander Dudchak, tensions between Kiev and Budapest will not affect Ukraine's European integration plans.

“The fact is that Kiev did not have any serious prospects before that to join NATO and the EU.

Ukraine already acts as an ally of these organizations, which have no motivation to take on any more obligations towards Kiev.

So good relations with Hungary in this Ukraine would still not help, ”the expert noted in a commentary on RT.

"Catastrophic consequences"

Tension in relations between Ukraine and Hungary arose after the Ukrainian authorities took a course to curtail the rights of national minorities in the country.

In 2017, the President of Ukraine (then this post was held by Petro Poroshenko) signed the law "On Education".

The law ordered all schools and universities to switch to teaching in the Ukrainian language by 2020.

The Hungarian government reacted extremely negatively to the document, saying that because of the new law, Kiev is at risk of losing a friend.

However, the Ukrainian authorities refused to admit that the new rules oppress the rights of national minorities.

In response, Hungary blocked the work of the Ukraine-NATO commission.

According to the Hungarian Foreign Ministry, the work will be stopped until Ukraine fulfills a number of conditions.

Budapest demanded that an exception to the new language norms be made for private schools and the transition period to replace the languages ​​of national minorities with the state language be extended.

But instead, in 2019, Poroshenko signed the law "On ensuring the functioning of the Ukrainian language as the state language."

The next "linguistic" law obliges to use the Ukrainian language as the only one for almost all spheres of life.

Under the new president of Ukraine, the situation has not changed.

On the contrary, Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed the law "On complete general secondary education" in March 2020.

The document introduces tools for the implementation of educational reform and provides for a gradual curtailment of teaching in the languages ​​of national minorities.

In September 2020, Peter Siyjarto said that Hungary will unblock the work of the Ukraine-NATO commission only when the Transcarpathian Hungarians report a positive solution to the language issue for them.

In addition, this is a condition for the meeting of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

• Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Siyarto

• Reuters

• © Kham

Local elections, which took place in Ukraine on October 25, were another cause of friction between Budapest and Kiev.

The Ukrainian authorities accused the Hungarian side of illegal campaigning for the "Party of Hungarians of Ukraine" ("Society of Hungarian Culture in Transcarpathia").

According to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, the campaign was conducted on election day.

The ministry summoned Hungarian Ambassador to Ukraine Istvan Idyarto and handed him a note of protest.

In addition, Ukraine has banned two Hungarian dignitaries from entering the country, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba said without giving any names.

A video posted on the Internet on November 30 added fuel to the fire.

On it, the head of the Syurt United Territorial Community in the Transcarpathian region, together with the deputies, sings the hymn of Hungary after taking the oath.

In response to Kiev's indignation, the Hungarian Embassy in Ukraine announced that the deputies were not singing a hymn, but a “prayer of the Hungarians,” which is several hundred years old.

Subsequently, the song became the national anthem of Hungary, the embassy added.

According to experts, the Ukrainian authorities themselves did everything in order to stir up the dormant separatist sentiments among the Ukrainian Hungarians.

“Since 2014, Kiev has been violating the rights of national minorities.

In Donbass, this policy led to war.

Hungarians are now simply trying to defend their rights, while Ukrainian security officials are trying to suppress these sentiments by force.

But if pressure from the Ukrainian authorities continues, the Hungarians may demand to grant them autonomy.

It is difficult to say how the situation will develop - unfortunately, anything can be expected from Kiev, including the introduction of an army, ”says Alexander Dudchak.

Oleg Nemensky adheres to a similar point of view.

According to the expert, although separatist sentiments were among the Hungarians before, Kiev strengthened them with its aggressive policy of violent Ukrainization.

“This policy undermines the unity of Ukraine both in the east and in the west.

At the same time, there is little chance that the authorities will be able to successfully Ukrainize the entire population.

Rather, such a course will lead to an increase in centrifugal tendencies in the country.

Against the background of the socio-economic crisis, this can lead to disastrous consequences for the Ukrainian statehood itself, ”concluded Oleg Nemensky.