The US Embassy in Budapest said in a statement that the United States is concerned about the relationship between Hungary and Russia. The embassy described Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing earlier this week as a “worrying decision.”
Orban and Putin met on Tuesday on the sidelines of the China summit Belt and Road InitiativeAlso known as the New Silk Road. This was the first meeting between Putin and the EU leader since Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer went to Moscow in April 2022 to confront Putin over his invasion of Ukraine.
But Hungarian Prime Minister Orban has never hidden his attraction to Putin. He has repeatedly blocked European sanctions against Russia. It also obstructed arms shipments to Ukraine via Hungarian territory for a long period. “Hungary has never wanted to confront Russia,” Orban told Putin on Tuesday. “Hungary has always wanted to expand communications.”
The US ambassador to Budapest, David Pressman, left his post on Tuesday message On social media about Orban’s handshake with Putin. “Hungary’s leader has chosen to stand with a man whose forces are among our allies responsible for crimes against humanity in Ukraine. As Russia bombs Ukrainian citizens, Hungary calls for trade relations.”
Martin Albers
