According to the US Ambassador to Hungary, Washington and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) are both concerned after the recent meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in China.
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| Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on the sidelines of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing, China on October 17. (Source: Reuters) |
On October 20, the US Embassy in Hungary issued a statement calling the meeting between Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Russian President Vladimir Putin “concerning.”
Earlier this week, the Hungarian Prime Minister held a bilateral meeting with the Russian President on the sidelines of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing, China. This was the first meeting between the two leaders since Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine in February 2022.
Earlier, at a press conference on October 19, US Ambassador to Hungary David Pressman said that representatives of NATO member states and Sweden met in Budapest to discuss growing concerns about the deepening relationship between Hungary and Russia.
“It is troubling that Hungary has chosen to engage with Mr. Putin in this way,” the US ambassador to Hungary said, criticizing Prime Minister Orban for siding with the country that launched attacks on Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the Hungarian government has rejected these criticisms. Mr. Gergely Gulyas, Chief of Staff of the Hungarian Prime Minister, told the Hungarian TV channel ATV: “The US Ambassador has no authority to decide Hungary’s foreign policy because that is the task of the Hungarian government.”
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