The Ukrainians are also responsible for the war situation that has arisen and is still ongoing - declared Bertalan Széchenyi Prize-winning ethnographer Andrásfalvy, who also explained what was the biggest omission of Ukrainian politics.

He lived through the Second World War, in '56, the Kossuth square firefight. How do you see the Ukrainian-Russian war that broke out a week ago?

"Frustrating!" Nothing good can come from war. I am horrified by the images about Ukraine: the blown-up buildings and the multitude of refugees. The war between Russia and Ukraine affects all of Europe. I follow the news, but I'm not fully aware of all the details - there's a lot of uncertainty in a war situation like this anyway.

Unfortunately, we have to say that the Ukrainians are also responsible for the war situation that has developed and is still ongoing. Could the outbreak of war have been prevented?

- It would have been better if Ukraine's NATO membership had not even arisen. And the Russians no longer want to solve their concerns with the tools of diplomacy.

There could have been plenty of other reasons that led to the war. As an ethnographic researcher, I see that perhaps the new Ukrainian language law - which was aimed against the Russian language - and the discrimination against Russian minorities was a way to deepen the conflicts. I don't have exact data, but it seems as if the Ukrainian leadership did not consider the rights of the minorities living in its country with sufficient weight.

Despite the commitment of Hungarian politics, the rights of the Hungarian minorities living in Transcarpathia are also questionable in many ways in Ukraine.

In the 21st century, the use of the mother tongue, the nationality school, and following traditions should be completely self-evident. Even if the given minority is Russian. If earlier the Ukrainian leadership was more open to the question of linguistic and cultural autonomy in the areas under the authority of the separatists, then perhaps things will turn out differently.

Last week, Vladimir Putin recognized these two breakaway states, but this does not mean that the problems are solved.

- No way, arbitrary arrangements are mostly not good for the population. We Hungarians have repeatedly experienced similar trials, war invasions, and the dismemberment of our country. What the future holds for Ukraine is still in question. However, it cannot be disputed that everyone wants peace.

A peace where ethnic and cultural independence is granted to everyone. How likely do you see this?

– I am not very optimistic, but the possibility that the issue can be settled must be maintained. At the same time, I find it terrifying the way Vladimir Putin started this war and the way he put it: he wants to destroy the "neo-Nazi" Ukrainian government.

This statement of yours is in complete contradiction to the dialogue, joint arrangement and the will for peace.

- You can make peace with the other party if you respect them. It is about human lives, and the weight of this must be felt in the Kremlin as well. Russians, Ukrainians and Hungarians should have the same rights, no matter where they live. Indigenous minorities must be supported so that they can prosper in their homeland. At the moment, we cannot even estimate what kind of devastation the war has wrought in Ukraine and Subcarpathia within it.

the Hungarianness of Transcarpathia completely disappear?

"It's impossible to know now." In a country ravaged by war, being a minority does not bode well anywhere. Everything will depend on where young people see a vision of the future for which they are happy to act. The most important thing now is to support the refugees and curb the violence. Without it, life cannot be settled.

Source: Vasarnap.hu

Author and image: Gábor Tóth