US senators: Orbán cabinet endangers Transatlantic security! – UPDATED
A bipartisan delegation of the US Senate is now in Hungary investigating several issues, including Hungary’s NATO policy, the Swedish NATO accession and other controversial topics. They say the Hungarian government endangered Transatlantic security at a key moment considering European peace and stability. They are to submit that resolution to the Congress. What consequences will follow?
We wrote HERE that a bipartisan delegation came to Hungary, because of which Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó became outraged. He highlighted Hungary is a sovereign country and added that there were lies spread in America about Hungary.
“If they’re coming to tell us how we ought to live or what decisions we ought to make, I wouldn’t recommend that because that would be — as they say — an incomplete mission, so it wouldn’t be worth it,” he added.
According to 444.hu, a Democrat and Republican senator are ready to submit a resolution to the Congress condemning the Hungarian government’s Russia-friendly policies. Furthermore, they would like to pressure Orbán to ratify Sweden’s NATO accession.
AP acquired the draft of the resolution which criticizes the Hungarian government for dismantling democratic institutions, influencing media, and restricting civic rights.
Orbán’s close relationship with Russia and China
Jeanne Shaheen (Democrat) from New Hampshire and Thom Tillis (Republican) from North Carolina slam Orbán’s decision to use the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the migration to govern with decrees (Orbán has a supermajority in the parliament). There were two more senators in the delegation, Chris Murphy and Chris Van Hollen, but only the Mrs Shaheen and Mr Tillis are members of the Senate NATO Observer Group.
They will remind them of Orbán’s promise not to be the last member state to accept the Swedish NATO accession. The resolution says that delaying Sweden’s bid endangered Transatlantic security in a key moment of European peace and stability.
Moreover, they slam Orbán’s close relationship with Russia and China and the Orbán cabinet’s measures hindering the EU’s anti-Russia sanctions.
Meanwhile, the Swedish foreign minister expects Hungary to accept Stockholm’s NATO bid.
Orbán said in his State of the Nation speech yesterday that the Hungarian parliament would accept that in February.
US senators disappointed
According to 24.hu, the senators were disappointed because nobody from the government or Fidesz agreed to meet and discuss the aforementioned topics with them. Meanwhile, as Shaheen highlighted, the USA is the second biggest investor in Hungary.
Read also:
- Biden cabinet disappointed: PM Orbán leads Hungary out from NATO by boycotting Sweden? – Read more HERE
- Hungarian wine on top 10 New York Times list – Details in THIS article
US Ambassador to Budapest David Pressman welcomed the senators at Budapest Airport:
UPDATE 2
US senators trust Hungarian lawmakers will ratify Sweden’s NATO accession soon
United States Senator Jeanne Shaheen said a bipartisan delegation of her peers trusted that Hungarian lawmakers would soon ratify Sweden’s NATO accession bid, speaking at a press conference in Budapest on Sunday, but expressed disappointment that nobody from the Hungarian government had met with them.
The delegation, on a mission focused on strategic issues confronting NATO and Hungary, included Senator Shaheen, a Democrat, and Senator Thom Tillis, a Republican, who both co-chair the Senate NATO Observer Group, as well as Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat and member of the Committee on Foreign Relations.
Shaheen noted at the press conference that Hungary was the last NATO member whose parliament had still not ratified Sweden’s accession to the alliance, adding that Prime Minister Viktor Orban had earlier said it wouldn’t be the last one to do so.
Shaheen said she trusted Orban would honour a pledge made in his state of the nation address on Saturday that Hungarian lawmakers would ratify Sweden’s NATO accession at the start of parliament’s spring session.
The senators stressed that Sweden’s accession to NATO would strengthen the alliance and the security of the United States and Hungary in the current situation.
Shaheen stressed the importance of NATO being the strongest and most unified alliance possible considering the challenges facing Europe in the context of the war in Ukraine.
Senator Tillis said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was a threat against democracy, against Hungary and against Europe, which was why NATO needed to be enlarged.
Senator Murphy said there was no reason for the Hungarian parliament to further delay the ratification of Sweden’s NATO accession.
Fielding questions, Tillis said the US respected Hungary’s independence and sovereignty, but added that the country needed to support Sweden’s NATO accession, just like the other members of the NATO family.
Asked to comment on remarks by Peter Szijjarto, the foreign minister, suggesting Russia was not a threat to NATO members, Shaheen said she didn’t agree at all.
The senators had wanted to review with representatives of the Hungarian government bilateral economic ties, the situation of human rights and matters related to the upcoming presidential election in the US.
Shaheen noted that the US was the second-biggest foreign investor in Hungary.
She said a declaration assessing the situation of Sweden’s NATO accession would be submitted with her co-chair of the Senate NATO Observer Group upon their return to the US.
Featured image: Ambassador Pressman with the senators
Orban and his ministers will travel to the other side of the globe to meet dictators Putin or Xi but now refuse to meet the American congressional delegates who travelled to Budapest to meet them. There can be no doubts that Hungary is not a European or NATO ally but is an ally of Russia. Hungarians can now live in shame. They gained their freedom in 1990 with American help to push the Russians out of Eastern Europe and now they sell themselves along with their freedom to Russia.
Imagine the temerity of going to a sovereign country and, while still there, issuing condemnations about that country’s elected government’s policies. It truly beggars belief. I don’t think even Russia and China do that. America, unfortunately, is a nation in decline, and it stands to reason for countries that don’t want to go down with that sinking ship to pivot elsewhere, even if the alternatives are less than palatable (to put it mildly). Get back on your plane, “senators,” and sayonara back to your decaying, crime- and drugs-infested dystopian cities.
The independent nations are tired of the US trying to micromanage their governments, hence the opening toward alternative alliances.
Hungary does not want the EU or NATO as allies.
Hungary only wants russia as an ally. So be it.
If Hungary had a shred of honor it would start negotiating its exit from the EU and NATO.
Cliff Arroyo, it is precisely that ” if ” that makes all the difference. They are greedy and coward. That is it.
Steiner Michael – AGAIN your commentary can be THROWN right back in your face, by this simple question :
Is NOT your Orban led, into an abyss Hungary, not already, sitting on the bottom of an ocean ?
Debris already has spread from it’s sinking, across vastness of sea bed territory ?
Hungary has SUNK through the wrongfulness of ideology’s from Victor Orban, your membership Political Party being Fidesz, who besides it’s Leader and present Prime Minister of Hungary continues to HUMILIATE – ABUSE and SHAME us wrongfully – as a country.
Hungary will never on its’ own volition leave the EU or NATO because it seeks to remain in both organizations to disrupt and undermine them to further Russian and Chinese interests in return for which the Russians and Chinese deepen their “friendship” and kickback deals with Fidesz.
The US , NATO and EU were directly responsible for the war in Ukraine and now half the young men in UKraine are dead , they want to continue the killing.
80% of the American people want it all to stop- everything is being paid for by US taxpayers. Everything you want to know is out there if want to know- your not going to find it here- I have rarely heard Ukraine mentioned. No one is in charge in the US for sometime and it insane what is going on. No one expects you to understand when you suck on Facebook and google.
Both controlled by the US. Maybe you were asleep the years of Covid when they shut down any comment that have proven to be true-you poor fools.
Steiner Michael – exposed AGAIN you leave your-self in the content’s of your commentary.
Whilst I may agree that the United States of America is “crumbling” a country that as I commentate at this immediate time in a Political CRISICS, that the on-going damage will impact – SEVERELY.
America does have a somewhat LUXURY that Hungary has NOT, in that it’s destruction, like history teaches us, it’s FALL through retainment of WEALTH not so much Democracy, but it’s spread of wealth amongst a population of 350 million people, comprising of 50 states, it’s FALL – will continue to be at a “snails pace” compared against Hungary, at this time 2024.
Hungary, through the Oban/Fidesz Political Party – the Government of Hungary, they have “SCUTTLED” our country.
In the SINKING of Hungary, the mine-field of DEBRIS grows being of gargantuan distribution.
Edward John Smith – RD RNR decided his fate and went down in 1912 as the Captain of the “ill-fated” Titanic plus 1,496 others.
Victor Mihaly Orban – and his Government, his Party – has SUNK our country,
There is NO procedures available for it being “re-floated” from the debts of the blackened waters it has SUNK, under the present Prime Minister – Victor Orban – and his Government.
WHY no life-boats ?
Fidesz Members “jumped” overboard first and into the “Small ” number of life-boats available, through LACK of funding available to supply the required number – per the population of Hungary.
Good Read for you Steiner Michael, placing Hungary into it’s theme, is the famous Dylan Thomas poem titled – “And Death shall have no Dominion”.
Hungary – besides being ” Scuttled” – we as a country continue to be Humiliated & Abused – that WRONGFULLY we can’t but feel SHAMEFUL, through what has is on-going factually happening in Hungary, under Victor Mihaly Orban.
Russia invaded Ukraine. Anyone who says the West is responsible for the war is pushing Russian propaganda which proliferates in social media and blog sites. Take note of the Reuters article attached which I have noticed for the first time in Reuters openly refers to Hungary as “a Russian ally.” Hungary is now allying with China on security matters. The Chinese are the foremost experts on domestic surveillance of their citizens using ubiquitous public cameras and facial recognition technology straight out of 1984.
https://www.reuters.com/world/unusual-move-china-offers-back-hungary-security-matters-2024-02-19/
About 2 years ago, I noticed the increase in cameras on Budapest streets, in the neighborhoods. Now the Hungarian police are working with the Chinese police and will patrol together. The Chinese Communist Party is notorious for abusing their people. Fidesz seems to be allying with the worst governments.
China is the the 16th worst offender in relation to discrimination and persecution of Christians. Yet, the so called Christian Fidesz party is willing to sell the nation to China. And I mean sell. Building their riches and producing a new serfdom to rule.
I am half Hungarian and lived there for over 6 years. Until recently, I wanted to permanently settle there and get citizenship. Not any more. Now I’d rather encourage my Hungarian friends to leave. My heart is with those poor Hungarians who face another chapter of degradation by the ruling party.
The irony of American senators talking about the endangerment of security is rich to say the least. American politicians HAVE NO business chastising anyone at this point in time while America rots into third world status and citizens are being murdered everyday because of a severe lack IN SECURITY! These talking heads are only running off at the mouth because Orban won’t play by their rules, good for Orban! There are many other countries to do business with, America isn’t a good investment anymore.
Reality check! Sweden has not been part of NATO. Russia did not attack the EU.
Ukraine wanted to join NATO. Russia wanted Ukraine to be a buffer between NATO and Russia. Ukraine disagreed. Russia invaded. That should have been the end of discussion. However, EU, North America interfered.
Result: High inflation of supporters of non-EU member state war, destruction of Ukrainian infrastructure, 5+ million Ukrainian refugees, thousands of Ukrainian and Russian soldiers’ deaths, high number of injuries, ruined Ukrainian economy.
Conditions in the US are not that great. Open border policy allowed 10 million illegals. Crime runs rampant in major American cities. High cost of food, American families are having a hard time putting food on the table. American people are tired of supporting foreign wars.
Why would Hungary take suggestion from a misguided corrupt senate delegation; a delegation that supports the extension of the Ukrainian war ad infinitum? US should recognize and honor Hungary’s sovereignty and stop interfering in other nations’ internal affairs.
The next question is would NATO nations go to war in case of Lithuanian is attacked?