Hungary breaks diplomatic ties with Ukraine after separatist investigations

The latest diplomatic row erupted between Ukraine and
Hungary this week after several investigations were announced by intelligence
authorities into separatist activity in the Zakarpattia region, which is home
to an ethnic Hungarian minority. In particular, the Security Service of Ukraine
(SBU) said on Dec. 1 it is investigating an incident in which the elected
members of the Syurte territorial community sang the Hungarian national anthem
when taking their oaths of office. The SBU also reported that day its agents
conducted a search of the offices of a charitable organization, uncovering
separatist materials and literature promoting ethnically based autonomy and the
creation of a Greater Hungary. 

The SBU’s activities prompted the Hungarian Foreign
Ministry to first expel Ukrainian Ambassador to Hungary Liubov Nepop on Nov. 30.
It announced the next day it was also recalling its ambassador to Ukraine,
Istvan Ijgyarto. Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said he would raise the
investigations with during a Dec. 1 videoconference of NATO foreign ministers.
“It’s unacceptable that a country, which claims to strive towards Euro-Atlantic
and trans-Atlantic integration, constantly intimidates and pressures an ethnic
minority related to a NATO member-state,” he wrote on his Facebook page.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called for
Hungary to avoid steps and statements that “don’t reflect reality and create
destructive emotional tensions in Ukrainian-Hungarian relations” in response to
the dramatic measures, as reported by the eurointegration.com.ua news site.
“Any assertions about ‘intimidating’ the Hungarian community or its segments in
Ukraine is baseless speculation,” he said. At the same time, Kuleba deemed as
unacceptable the singing of the hymn of a foreign nation by a local elected
council.

Zenon Zawada: Ukraine has
become a useful political diversion to distract the Hungarian public’s
attention for Viktor Orban, just as it has been for two decades now for
Vladimir Putin. This is the result of a having a weak state structure, whose
authority has only grown more decentralized under President Zelensky. But while
Russia has a realistic ability to cause Ukraine’s fragmentation, Hungary does
not. This is all the more reason for Orban to sponsor separatist activity,
which merely serves to create nationalist narratives for the mass media that
will never be fulfilled. However, they seem to keep Orban’s core electorate
excited.

We maintain our position that Ukrainian relations with
Hungary will improve only when Orban concludes his tenure, or no earlier than
2022. And while NATO authorities have to respect Hungary’s complaints against
Ukraine, they are well aware of Orban’s “patriot games.” They understand the
bigger picture, which is keeping Ukraine on the NATO integration path.

In the meantime, Ukraine will depend on the support
of its Western partners to defend against its bullying neighbors, being limited
in its ability to do so on its own. Though the SBU investigations are a
positive step in that direction.