Ukraine expels Hungarian consul over passport row
Kiev has declared a Hungarian consul persona non grata and asked him to leave the country within 72 hours, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said on Thursday. “We hope that the Hungarian side will refrain from any unfriendly steps towards Ukraine in the future, and that its officials will not violate Ukrainian legislation,” the statement said. Ukraine and Hungary have become embroiled in diplomatic rows over the use of Hungarian in Ukrainian schools and Hungary issuing passports to ethnic Hungarians across the border, Reuters said. Kiev accused the consul, who is based in the western town of Beregovo near the Hungarian border, of “activities incompatible with the status of a consular officer.”