Magyar, Zelenskyy meet as EU launches Ukraine task force

Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held their first one-on-one talks in Brussels on Oct. 16, and the European Commission announced the same day a joint task force with Ukraine to speed up its membership bid.

The two moves came three days after the EU opened two more negotiating clusters with Ukraine, bringing the total to four of six, once Hungary dropped a veto it had held under former prime minister Viktor Orbán. Zelenskyy said Kyiv aims to open the last two before the end of 2026.

Magyar and Zelenskyy met on the sidelines of a two-day EU leaders’ summit, the Kyiv Independent reported. The talks followed brief conversations in June in Brussels and in July at the NATO summit in Ankara.

Hungary had demanded a change in Ukrainian law before it would let accession talks move forward. Ukraine’s parliament approved a minority education law this week and Zelenskyy signed it, Euronews reported. Ukrainian officials told the Kyiv Independent the law formalizes existing rights rather than bringing major practical changes. Estimates of the Hungarian-speaking minority in western Ukraine range from 80,000 to 100,000 people, depending on the outlet.

Magyar described the law and its immediate implementation as “a first step towards rebuilding mutual trust” in a social media post after the meeting, as quoted by the Kyiv Independent. He said both countries would continue ministerial-level talks on minorities and that he hopes “a new chapter opens” in relations.

“We’re moving on our relationship with Hungary; we had a very good meeting,” Zelenskyy said at a press conference in Brussels, according to the Kyiv Independent. Euronews quoted him as saying “We are working to open the remaining two by the end of the year.”

Magyar proposed a future meeting in Berehove, the western Ukrainian town at the centre of the Hungarian-speaking community. He said it could happen in the autumn, Euronews reported, though no date has been set. Zelenskyy was also invited to Budapest for the Oct. 23 anniversary of the 1956 uprising against Soviet rule. Deputy chief of staff Ihor Zhovkva said “We shall see,” according to Euronews.

The Commission’s task force is the second piece. EU and Ukrainian officials will meet twice a week over several months to work through unmet benchmarks, mainly on the rule of law and anti-corruption, Euronews reported. A Commission official said the model follows the one used for Montenegro and Moldova. The Seoul Economic Daily also reported the twice-weekly schedule.

Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos said on X that “Ukraine is among the countries making most progress towards EU membership,” after discussing next steps with Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi, Euronews reported. Kyiv is due to receive a roadmap and an indicative timeline for completing accession in a broader enlargement package expected in early November.

The thaw with Budapest matters because accession decisions need unanimity among the 27 member states. Orbán lost the April 2026 election, and Magyar took office the following month, the Seoul Economic Daily reported. Magyar’s government still requires Kyiv to meet its minority-rights commitments before further EU progress, Euronews reported.

The summit itself was dominated by money and the rift between Kyiv and Washington. Canada News Media covered EU leaders backing Zelenskyy as the Trump rift widened over diesel, the opening of two more accession clusters and the earlier signal that Hungary would ease its veto.

For Canadians, the story is mostly about where Ukraine ends up after the war. Canada has one of the largest Ukrainian diasporas outside Ukraine, and Prime Minister Mark Carney has said the U.S.-Russia diesel deal hurts Ukraine peace.

What to watch next: whether Zelenskyy travels to Budapest on Oct. 23, the first task force meetings, and the Commission’s enlargement package in early November.

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Via Euronews and the Kyiv Independent.