Current:Home > FinancePrime Minister Orbán says Hungary is in no rush to ratify Sweden’s NATO bid-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Prime Minister Orbán says Hungary is in no rush to ratify Sweden’s NATO bid
View Date:2024-12-23 15:30:44
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said Monday that his country is in no hurry to ratify Sweden’s bid to join NATO, suggesting the Nordic country could face further delays in becoming a member of the military alliance.
Speaking during the opening autumn session of Hungary’s parliament, Orbán told lawmakers that “nothing is threatening Sweden’s security,” and that Hungary was therefore in “no rush” to ratify its NATO accession.
Orbán’s statement came after other high-ranking Hungarian officials recently suggested that Sweden’s ratification may not be put on the parliamentary agenda at all during the autumn session. On Thursday, the caucus leader of Orbán’s Fidesz party, Mate Kocsis, said he saw “little chance” that parliament would vote on the matter this year.
Hungary remains the only NATO member country, besides Turkey, that hasn’t yet approved Sweden’s bid to join the alliance. The Nordic nation, along with neighboring Finland, dropped its longstanding military neutrality after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, and quickly signaled its intention to join NATO.
Yet Hungary has delayed ratifying its bid since July 2022 while also making vague demands from Stockholm as conditions for approval. Orban’s government has alleged that Swedish politicians have told “blatant lies” about the condition of Hungary’s democracy, which he says left some lawmakers unsure of whether to support the accession bid.
Fidesz earlier caused multiple delays in ratifying Finland’s NATO bid, but swiftly passed the measure in March once Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan indicated that his government would move forward on the ratification.
On Monday, Orbán also criticized the Ukrainian government under President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying Hungary would “not support Ukraine on any international issue” until the language rights of a sizeable Hungarian minority in western Ukraine are restored.
He also said Hungary had been “deceived” by a European Union plan to allow Ukrainian grain to transit across Hungary after shipments across the Black Sea were hindered by the war with Russia, and that shipments of Ukrainian products ostensibly bound for Africa had been sold in Hungary for lower prices, pressuring domestic producers.
“Brussels claimed that without Ukrainian grain, serious famine threatened African countries,” Orbán said. “After transit across the Black Sea was made impossible by the war, Hungary opened a solidarity transit corridor at Brussels’ request so that food could get to Africa from Ukraine and across Hungary. Let’s say it straight: They deceived us.”
Orbán said that cheaper Ukrainian grain had flooded Hungarian markets, creating a supply glut that had harmed its agricultural industry. Together with Slovakia and Poland, Hungary instituted an import ban on 23 Ukrainian agricultural products on Sept. 15, but will continue to allow their transfer across its territory.
veryGood! (81811)
Related
- Martha Stewart playfully pushes Drew Barrymore away in touchy interview
- The rise of crypto ETFs: How to invest in digital currency without buying coins
- Katie Ledecky adds another swimming gold; Léon Marchand wins in start to audacious double
- GOP Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine opposes fall ballot effort to replace troubled political mapmaking system
- Song Jae-lim, Moon Embracing the Sun Actor, Dead at 39
- What you need to know about raspberries – and yes, they're good for you
- Massachusetts lawmakers push for drug injection sites as session wraps up
- Montana education leaders take stock of changes to school quality requirements
- GreenBox Systems will spend $144 million to build an automated warehouse in Georgia
- Italian gymnast Giorgia Villa goes viral during Olympics for brand deal with cheese
Ranking
- After entire police force resigns in small Oklahoma town, chief blames leaders, budget cuts
- Simone Biles uses Instagram post to defend her teammates against MyKayla Skinner's shade
- Jets’ McCutcheon has made mental health awareness his mission since best friend’s death in 8th grade
- Evy Leibfarth 'very proud' after winning Olympic bronze in canoe slalom
- How many dog breeds are there? A guide to groups recognized in the US
- Britney Spears' Ex Sam Asghari Shares What He Learned From Their Marriage
- Christina Hall Reacts to Possibility of Replacing Ex Josh Hall With Ant Anstead on The Flip Off
- Hawaii Gov. Josh Green tells AP a $4 billion settlement for 2023 Maui wildfire could come next week
Recommendation
-
Skiing legend Lindsey Vonn ends retirement, plans to return to competition
-
9-month-old boy dies in backseat of hot car after parent forgets daycare drop-off
-
The difference 3 years makes for Sha'Carri Richardson, fastest woman in the world
-
Olympics 2024: Simone Biles Reveals She’s Been Blocked by Former Teammate MyKayla Skinner
-
Saving for retirement? How to account for Social Security benefits
-
Republican Lt. Gov. Jon Husted reports $5 million in the bank ahead of 2026 run for Ohio governor
-
Almost a year after MSU firing, football coach Mel Tucker files suit
-
'General Hospital' star Cameron Mathison and wife Vanessa are divorcing