Hungary continues to pose challenges to Ukraine's efforts to join the European Union, primarily due to concerns about the rights of national minorities. According to diplomatic sources in Brussels, Hungary has not yet approved the opening of negotiation chapters as part of Ukraine’s accession process to the EU. The Hungarian government cites public sentiment in the country and the need for better protection of minority rights as key reasons for its position. During recent meetings of the EU enlargement working group, the issue of validating Ukraine’s compliance with the requirements of the 2 ("Internal Market") and 3 ("Competitiveness and Inclusive Growth") pillars has been raised repeatedly. These are crucial steps for opening these chapters for negotiation. Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar has indicated that he sees insufficient progress from Ukraine on the issue of national minority rights. However, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Vsevolod Chentsov denied these claims, stating that progress on minority rights is being addressed in group 1 and is unrelated to the opening of groups 2 and 3. The European Commission also disputes the claims, noting that Ukraine is making progress in implementing necessary measures. The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that Hungary has not provided specific requirements that Ukraine could fulfill to open the negotiation chapters. On September 8, Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Minister spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said that Ukraine is holding nearly daily discussions with Hungary and the EU to avoid any "artificial delay" in the process. He noted that Hungary's concerns are expressed in general terms, and Ukraine does not understand the specific obstacles being placed in its path. The Ukrainian government aims to open six negotiation chapters by the end of 2026, as stated by European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos. Despite pressure from several EU countries, including Germany, Hungary is not currently willing to move forward with unblocking the process. Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar has expressed opposition to an accelerated accession for Ukraine, stating that due to the ongoing war, the country may not be ready to become an EU member. Ukraine’s Foreign Affairs Ministry emphasized that their process is based on merit, not speed. Hungary’s representatives indicated during a meeting of the EU enlargement working group on September 1 that Budapest might reconsider its position if Ukraine makes progress in implementing legislation to protect national minorities. However, Hungary did not specify what kind of progress it expects. The European Union plans to revisit this issue in one of its upcoming meetings. For now, only the first and sixth negotiation chapters have been officially opened for Ukraine.