{
  "id": 13993506,
  "title": "Ukraine adopts law key to advancing EU accession talks",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/ukraine-adopts-law-key-to-advancing-eu-accession-talks",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-12T15:29:57.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2026/10/12/ukraine-adopts-law-key-to-advancing-eu-accession-talks"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Kyiv's parliament has approved legislation aimed at safeguarding the rights of national minorities in Ukraine, a move analysts believe will help remove a significant obstacle to the nation's aspirations to join the European Union (EU). Hungary had previously been blocking the commencement of so-called negotiation clusters – policy areas in which EU candidates must align their laws – by accusing Kyiv of failing to protect the rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine.\n\nUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed the new law into effect on Monday, according to the parliamentary press service. The legislation ensures that the languages of national minorities that are official languages of the European Union can be used more extensively in the country's educational system, without compromising the status of the Ukrainian language.\n\nHungarian Foreign Minister Anita Orban welcomed the decision, stating that it is a necessary condition for Hungary to agree to the opening of new EU talks. Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar also expressed optimism, calling the approval of the law a \"good sign\" and highlighting the importance of establishing trust between the two nations.\n\nWhile there is still considerable work required to improve relations and restore trust between the neighboring countries, Magyar believes that the leaderships of both nations have taken the initial steps towards resolving the situation. The status of the Hungarian-speaking minority in western Ukraine has been a long-standing source of tension between the two nations, with Budapest having previously blocked Ukraine's EU membership bid following Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.\n\nEuropean Union enlargement commissioner Marta Kos praised the new law as \"crucial to keep reforms moving.\" She added that tomorrow, two additional negotiation clusters on Ukraine's path towards EU membership are planned.",
  "summary": "Kyiv's parliament voted Monday to pass the legislation, which president Volodymyr Zelensky then signed into law.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Ukraine adopts law key to advancing EU accession talks",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/ukraine-adopts-law-key-to-advancing-eu-accession-talks-13998832",
        "published": "2026-10-12T15:29:57.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}