After years of disputes, Hungary finds common ground with Ukraine—on honoring Soviet deportations from Zakarpattia
A Rada resolution honors thousands who died in a Soviet deportation campaign targeting Hungarian- and German-speaking Zakarpattia residents.
In a significant development, Hungary has found common ground with Ukraine on the issue of honoring Soviet deportations from Zakarpattia. The Ukrainian parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, voted unanimously to classify the mass arrests, deportations, and persecution of the region's Hungarian community by the Soviet military administration from 1944 to 1946 as crimes of the communist regime. This is the first time any state body has recognized such repression as a crime, according to European Pravda.
The vote comes after years of disputes and strained relations between the two nations. Budapest has continued to press Kyiv for further concessions, but the recognition of Soviet crimes provides a new basis for historical reconciliation. However, the two countries still have wide-ranging disagreements, particularly over minority rights and Ukraine's EU accession process.
The Ukrainian parliament's declaration condemns the Soviet authorities' coercive measures against the Hungarian community in Transcarpathia and calls for memorials, archival publications, research, and the inclusion of the repression in educational programs. Marton Hajdu, chair of the Hungarian parliament's foreign affairs committee, emphasized that reconciliation must be accompanied by Kyiv's full implementation of its June agreement with Budapest on minority rights.
The thaw in Hungarian-Ukrainian relations follows Péter Magyar's ascension to power in April, ending Viktor Orbán's 16-year tenure. Magyar's government has already taken steps to improve relations, such as summoning Russia's ambassador after Moscow struck Zakarpattia and reversing a dispute involving $82 million from Ukraine's state-owned Oschadbank. However, Hungary continues to slow parts of Ukraine's EU accession process due to domestic pressures to defend Zakarpattia's Hungarian community.
In summary, the recognition of Soviet crimes by Ukraine's parliament marks a significant step towards historical reconciliation between Hungary and Ukraine. However, broader issues such as minority rights and EU accession remain unresolved.
Written by urgent.news from Euromaidan Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
