U.S. says it is ‘concerned’ about Hungary’s relationship with Russia

On Friday, the U.S. Embassy in Budapest stated that the U.S. worries about Hungary’s ties to Russia and considers Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s choice to meet with Putin “troubling.”

On Tuesday’s margins of the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, Orban and Putin had a private meeting. Since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, he is the only head of state from a member of the European Union to attend the event or meet Putin.

According to a statement by the U.S. ambassador to Hungary, David Pressman, “the United States is concerned about Hungary’s relationship with Russia.”

The pressman stated this week on X that “Hungary’s leader chooses to stand with a man whose forces are responsible for crimes against humanity in Ukraine, and alone among our allies.”

Hungary, a NATO member receiving most of its crude oil and gas from Russia, has vetoed many E.U. measures to aid Ukraine in fending off Russian soldiers.

During their discussion in Beijing, Orban informed Putin that Hungary was working to restore bilateral ties and had never intended to oppose Russia.

According to Radio Free Europe, the ambassadors of NATO nations and Sweden in Budapest met after Orban’s meeting to discuss their worries over Hungary’s growing reconciliation with Moscow.

Balazs Orban, Orban’s top political assistant, responded to the U.S. criticism by stating that Hungary was “fed up” with the ambassador’s “hypocrisy” in a post on X earlier this week.

Hungary’s procrastination on the acceptance of Sweden’s NATO membership has strained ties with Washington during the last year.