Hungary and Ukraine clash over Zelenskyy's new regional forum

Fresh tensions have flared between Hungary and Ukraine after Budapest accused Kyiv of including it in Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s new regional development forum without its consent. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar clashed with Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on X overnight, insisting that Hungary had never agreed to join the Carpathian Eight (C8). Zelenskyy launched the C8 last Friday to boost regional investment, listing Hungary as one of its members. But Budapest denied any involvement on Monday, saying it had rejected an invitation to join. In a social media post, Sybiha accused Magyar of following in Viktor Orbán's footsteps on Ukraine policy. Orbán, who led Hungary for 16 years until earlier this year, waged a fierce anti-Ukraine campaign, casting Kyiv as a threat to Europe. "What we've been hearing from Budapest lately leaves us confused. It seems that while Viktor Orbán is gone, his policies of obstructionism and isolationism continue to thrive," Sybiha wrote on X, adding that Magyar's remarks were needlessly confrontational. "Despite these statements, we still reiterate Ukraine's willingness and openness to developing mutually beneficial, pragmatic and respectful bilateral cooperation with Hungary." Magyar responded in a comment, reiterating that Hungary had been added to the C8 list without its consent. "I am helping you. To claim that a sovereign country is a member of an international cooperation (Carpathian Integration) without prior consultation or consent of the country concerned is completely unacceptable." Magyar compared the situation to a local football team signing an unknown player from the neighbourhood without asking. "We don't know each other, but you are in it, and you have to bring the ball." Oil row adds to tensions Hungary's ambassador to Ukraine attended the C8 meeting last Friday but did not sign the summit's closing document, Hungarian news outlet Telex said. The Carpathian Eight was set up to strengthen security, energy and trade cooperation – and attract €9.4 billion in investment. On Saturday, Ukraine's state energy company Naftogaz announced an agreement with its Hungarian counterpart MOL to build oil storage facilities on Hungarian territory, intended to safeguard supplies against possible Russian attacks. The deal was criticised as a security threat by Orbán's Fidesz party and prompted a fierce rebuke from Magyar. "Under my government, no such storage will be built at the Hungarian-Ukrainian border, or anywhere else," the prime minister said on Monday. He also warned MOL to consult the government before pursuing any such deals, noting that the Hungarian state holds a 25% stake in the company. "MOL's practice is completely unacceptable; from now on, I expect the company to treat the Hungarian state as a 25% owner. We'll see what the consequences of this will be." Reset to setback Relations between Kyiv and Budapest were openly hostile under Orbán, who portrayed Zelenskyy's government as a threat to Hungary. He opposed the opening of EU accession talks with Ukraine, repeatedly vetoing the bloc's financial and military aid packages to support Ukraine's defence. Zelenskyy, during the Hungarian electoral campaign, threatened to give Orbán's address to Ukrainian soldiers. Following Magyar's election victory in April, the new Hungarian government called for more pragmatic cooperation with Kyiv. Hungary lifted its veto on accession talks and approved the opening of two negotiating clusters, in exchange for guarantees over the language and education rights of the Hungarian minority in western Ukraine. Over the summer, however, Budapest reinstated its veto, citing a lack of progress on minority rights. Both Magyar and Zelenskyy have previously expressed interest in a bilateral meeting, but none has yet been scheduled.