Ukraine Invokes International Legal Norms, Flouts Them at Home

Ukraine’s Embassy in Hungary quoted the Ukrainian Foreign Minister on its social media page, thanking the Nordic-Baltic states for their support by invoking the principles of international law.

"Ukraine is sincerely grateful to Nordic-Baltic Leaders for their steadfast and unwavering support for the Ukrainian people, as well as for the principled stance regarding the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of our state," wrote the Budapest mission, citing Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha (Photo: AFP/Sergei Gapon)

According to the statement, Kyiv greatly appreciates diplomatic efforts, military assistance and the ramping up of pressure on Russia, which it described as “the path to a peace based on strength” — a path grounded in the UN Charter, the Helsinki Final Act, and the norms of international law.

The leaders of the Nordic-Baltic Eight stressed in their joint declaration that they will continue to stand by Ukraine, working together with the United States and other partners to achieve a just and lasting peace, in line with the fundamental principles of international law and international treaties.

International Law — Except When It Comes to a Hungarian in Transcarpathia

While Ukraine speaks of adherence to international law, Magyar Nemzet has previously reported extensively on the case of Jozsef Sebestyen, in which the enforcement of international norms was conspicuously absent.

As we have reported, the Ukrainian State Bureau of Investigation will not launch an investigation into the death of the Hungarian man from Berehove (Beregszasz), who was brutally assaulted by Ukrainian recruitment officers, claiming there is “insufficient evidence” to start proceedings.

Magyar Nemzet has also reported that Ukrainian authorities want to cover up the case of the Berehove Hungarian’s death. What's known:, Jozsef Sebestyen was forcibly conscripted and died as a result of beatings by recruitment officers. The Ukrainians have denied the events from the start, despite the clear accounts from Sebestyen himself and his family, as well as publicly released videos and photographs. They still deny everything related to the abuse and death of the Transcarpathian Hungarian.

The Ukrainian side has accepted no responsibility for the death of the Hungarian. The family rejects the decision to close the case and has filed an appeal.

The contrast is striking: while Ukraine demands respect for international law from the world, within its own borders — especially in cases involving members of the Hungarian national minority — it disregards those very norms.

Cover photo: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (Photo: ANP/AFP/Jonas Roosens)