The U.S. ambassador to Hungary stated on Thursday that he was” confident” that Sweden would soon join NATO. He added that the Hungarian government had assured him that Budapest would not be the last to ratify the bid. BUDAPEST, Nov. 16 ( Reuters )
Relations between Budapest and Washington have deteriorated as a result of Hungary’s foot-dragging over the acceptance of Swedish membership in NATO and the warm relations that Prime Minister Viktor Orban has maintained with Moscow despite the conflict in Ukraine.
Ambassador David Pressman stated that” I have been frequently assured at the senior-most levels of this state that Hungary will not be the last to accept Sweden’s accession to NATO.”
Turkey and Hungary have not yet ratified Sweden’s enrollment in NATO.
Budapest opposes Russia’s war of Ukraine, but Orban has long maintained cordial ties with Moscow and has refrained from criticizing the actions of President Vladimir Putin. This is in part because Hungary continues to rely on Russia for its power.
The U.S. imposed restrictions on IIB, a Soviet bank based in Budapest, in April and urged Hungary to sever ties with what it referred to as an “opaque Kremlin-controlled platform.” Hungary left the bank a few days after the restrictions.
The United States was also concerned about a” independence security costs” flagged by the ruling Fidesz group, according to Pressman, who has argued with the Hungarian authorities over LGBT rights and more just over Orban’s meet with Putin in Beijing.
The bill was supposed to be presented to congress by Orban’s Fidesz on Tuesday, but it has been postponed. The new bill, which had targeted international control, may apply to “left-wing journalists, quasi-civil organizations,” and social events, according to a Fidesz senator in September.
It is extremely dangerous for Hungary to attempt to criminalize and/or intimidate independent civil society and media organizations, and I sincerely hope that wo n’t be the outcome, according to Pressman.
Editing by Gareth Jones and reporting by Krisztina
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