“The most shocking statement of my career,” Foreign Minister Calls Out Kaja Kallas

MTI-Hungary Today 2025.06.24.

Kaja Kallas, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy

After a meeting in Brussels on Monday, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said he had heard one of the most appalling statements of his nearly eleven-year career from Kaja Kallas, the EU Estonian-born High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, concerning the deprivation of rights of the Hungarian community in Transcarpathia, Ukraine.

The Minister reported at a press conference following the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting that the rights of the Hungarian national community in Ukraine continue to be trampled on. “The Ukrainians have been treating us like fools for ten years, and for ten years they have not restored the rights of the Hungarian national community because they think that the EU Member States and Brussels will exert enough pressure on Hungary to abandon its protesting stance,” he said.

Hard to believe what I heard today from HRVP @kajakallas: the EU protects minority rights within the EU, not outside. If that’s true, the EU has little to be proud of. can’t move forward with accession without restoring the rights of violated for 10 years in Transcarpathia.

— Péter Szijjártó (@FM_Szijjarto) June 23, 2025

He said that today he heard one of the most appalling statements of his career, namely from Kaja Kallas, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, who responded to his speech on the Hungarian community in Transcarpathia by saying:

We protect minority rights within the European Union, not outside it.”

He called this statement scandalous and emphasized that it further demonstrates that Ukraine cannot move forward in the accession process until the rights of the Hungarian minority are fully restored.

There is no pressure from Brussels that would force us to give up on protecting the Hungarians in Transcarpathia,”

he stated.

Fact

Between 75,000 and 85,000 ethnic Hungarians currently live in Ukraine. Most reside in the western region of Transcarpathia, near the Hungarian border. According to the 2001 Ukrainian census, there were approximately 156,600 Hungarians in the country, but more recent estimates suggest a notable decline, influenced by migration partly brought about by the loss of rights, economic hardship, and the war.

“In these very difficult times, in the midst of wars, in this age of danger, we will preserve Hungary’s peace and security, we will protect Hungarians both within and beyond our borders, we will protect the interests of the Hungarian nation and the Hungarian economy, no matter how much pressure is exerted on us,” he added.

EU Foreign Ministers met today to discuss a wide range of issues:

Situation in the Middle East
Russian aggression against Ukraine
China and European security

My press conference following the Foreign Affairs Council ↓ pic.twitter.com/l0DX52dSDM

— Kaja Kallas (@kajakallas) June 23, 2025

Péter Szijjártó also mentioned that at the meeting, his Ukrainian counterpart had not only demanded the rapid admission of his country, but also that its products be allowed to enter the EU market as soon as possible, even before accession.

This would pose serious economic risks, damage, and a threat to the Hungarian economy. Because it would mean, for example, that Hungarian farmers would face competition from cheap, poor-quality agricultural products that are not free of toxic substances. This would obviously ruin Hungarian farmers. We will not allow this to happen,”

he warned.

He then touched on the situation in the Middle East, describing as deeply shocking the fact that, following Sunday’s extremely brutal, religiously motivated terrorist attack on the Christian community in Syria, the European Union has not yet condemned the attack.

“Whenever anything happens in the world, especially in Ukraine, of course, within five minutes the wording starts in Brussels, and within ten minutes a position has to be taken. Since yesterday, no one in Brussels has thought to issue a joint statement condemning the most horrific anti-Christian terrorist attack in recent times. The terrorist attack itself is outrageous, repulsive, and unacceptable, and so is Brussels’ behavior in this regard,” he emphasized.

After a brutal, religiously motivated terrorist attack on Christians in Syria, the EU remains silent. Brussels usually reacts within minutes when it comes to other parts of the world, like Ukraine. This double standard is outrageous, and the lack of condemnation is unacceptable. pic.twitter.com/ApcahCj1BY

— Péter Szijjártó (@FM_Szijjarto) June 23, 2025

Government Reacts to Another Terrorist Attack against Christians

Hungary has launched an emergency aid program to provide medical care for the injured.Continue reading

Via MTI; Featured photo: MTI/Purger Tamás