NATO member states’ ambassadors and Sweden's ambassador to Budapest meet after Orbán's meeting with Putin

The ambassadors of NATO member states and Sweden's ambassador to Budapest met on Thursday morning, Szabad Európa has learned. David Pressman, the US ambassador in Budapest, told the paper that the meeting was held because NATO members are increasingly concerned about Hungary's deepening relationship with Russia.

Last week, Hungarian Foreign Minister Szijjártó held talks in Moscow with Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, among others, and this week Viktor Orbán met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing.

Pressman told Szabad Európa that they felt it was important to meet with the US NATO allies because

"we are all concerned about the Hungarian Prime Minister's meeting with President Putin at a time when Russia is at war with Ukraine as an aggressor".

The ambassador said that this meeting was the main topic of discussion. "It is worrisome that Hungary has chosen to engage with Putin in this way. As is the language used by the Prime Minister Orbán to describe Putin's war in Ukraine. Both of these needed to be discussed." Pressman was referring to Orbán using the term 'military operations' during the meeting, thus avoiding the use of the word 'war', but also not using the official Russian term 'special military operation'.

"We see Hungary as an ally, but we also see Hungary deepening its relationship with Russia despite its brutal war in Ukraine. We consider maintaining dialogue with the Hungarian government and the Hungarian people on these decisions important," Pressman stressed. He added that he regularly discusses issues concerning Hungarian-Russian relations with various ministers of the Hungarian government.

"If we have legitimate security concerns, we take these to our allies and we expect them to be taken seriously," he said.