Speaker of Hungarian parliament meets with her Ukrainian counterpart and confirms support for Ukraine's path to EU

What Happened

Ruslan Stefanchuk, Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, met with Ágnes Forsthoffer, Speaker of the Hungarian Parliament, according to European Pravda citing Stefanchuk on Facebook. Stefanchuk said Forsthoffer expressed support for the Ukrainian people, confirmed Hungary's readiness to continue helping Ukraine and Ukrainians, and reaffirmed support for Ukraine's movement toward the European Union. The speakers discussed steps to intensify inter-parliamentary cooperation, and Stefanchuk referred to shared history, including the Holodomor and Soviet-era repressions such as forced labour known as 'malenki robot', saying both nations know violence from Moscow.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

Ukraine-Hungary relations have been strained, partly over Hungarian minority language rights and Ukraine's education law. The meeting and Hungary's stated support for Ukraine's EU movement come after Ukraine's parliament on 12 October approved amendments to the education law, a step seen as necessary for Hungary to agree to open negotiating clusters 2 and 3 in Ukraine's EU accession talks. Improved interparliamentary ties could unblock progress on Ukraine's EU integration, which is strategically important amid Russia's full-scale invasion.

Watch For

Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar is expected to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the EU summit on 15-16 October. Monitor whether Hungary formally agrees to open negotiating clusters 2 and 3 following the education law amendments, and whether further interparliamentary cooperation steps are announced.