BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) 鈥 A bipartisan delegation of U.S. senators made an official visit to Hungary's capital Sunday and called on the nationalist government to immediately approve Sweden's request to join NATO.
Hungary is the only one of NATO's 31 existing members not to have ratified Sweden鈥檚 bid. The Hungarian government to act after delaying the move for more than 18 months since admitting a new country to the military alliance requires unanimous approval.
The visiting senators announced they would submit a joint resolution to Congress condemning alleged in Hungary and urging the government of Prime Minister Viktor Orb谩n to lift its block on Sweden鈥檚 integration.
鈥淲ith accession, Hungary and your prime minister will be doing a great service to freedom-loving nations worldwide,鈥 Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, said during a news conference at the U.S. Embassy in Budapest.
The resolution, first reported early Sunday by The Associated Press, was authored by Tillis and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a New Hampshire Democrat. Joining them in the delegation to Budapest was Sen. Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut.
Shaheen said it was 鈥渄isappointing鈥 that no members of the Hungarian government had accepted invitations to meet the delegation but she was 鈥渉opeful and optimistic鈥 Sweden鈥檚 accession would be submitted for ratification when Hungarian lawmakers reconvene on Feb. 26.
Murphy said the refusal of Orb谩n鈥檚 government to meet was 鈥渟trange and concerning,鈥 but that the onus was on the long-serving leader to push for a vote.
鈥淲e are wise enough about politics here to know that if Prime Minister Orb谩n wants this to happen, then the parliament can move forward,鈥 he said.
Earlier this month, U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin, a Maryland Democrat and chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, for its conduct, and called Orb谩n 鈥渢he least reliable member of NATO.鈥
In the resolution, obtained by the AP, the senators note 鈥渢he important role Hungary can have in European and trans-Atlantic security,鈥 but point out its failure to keep earlier promises not to be the last NATO ally to sign off on Sweden's membership.
Hungary, the resolution says, 鈥渉as not joined all other NATO member states in approving the accession of Sweden to NATO, failing to fulfill a commitment not to be last to approve such accession and jeopardizing trans-Atlantic security at a key moment for peace and stability in Europe.鈥
Orb谩n, a staunch nationalist who has led Hungary since 2010, has said that he favors making Sweden part of NATO but that because of 鈥渂latant lies鈥 from Swedish politicians on the state of Hungary's democracy.
But in a on Saturday, Orb谩n indicated that Hungary鈥檚 legislature might soon relent.
鈥淚t鈥檚 good news that our dispute with Sweden is nearing a conclusion,鈥 he said. 鈥淲e are moving toward ratifying Sweden鈥檚 accession to NATO at the beginning of the spring session of Parliament.鈥
The senators' resolution criticizes Orb谩n's increasingly warm relations with Russia and China, and notes that while Hungary has opened its doors to Ukrainian refugees fleeing Moscow's invasion, it has also 鈥渞esisted and diluted European Union sanctions with respect to the Russian Federation.鈥
Orb谩n, widely considered to be , has long been criticized for flouting the bloc's standards on democracy and the rule of law. The EU has from Budapest over alleged breaches of its rules.
Hungary's government has also adopted an increasingly adversarial stance toward the administration of President Joe Biden, accusing the U.S. of attempting to influence Hungarian public life.
P茅ter Szijj谩rt贸, Hungary's foreign minister, said Friday that he welcomed the senators' visit but that it was 鈥渘ot worth trying to exert pressure on us, because we are a sovereign country.鈥
鈥淲e are glad they are coming here because they can see for themselves that everything they read about Hungary in the liberal American media is a blatant lie," Szijj谩rt贸 said.
