The United States wants Hungary to “enter” the war between Russia and Ukraine, Hungary’s prime minister Viktor Orbán claimed.
Orbán said his country’s relationship with the US was rapidly deteriorating, with Budapest now regularly sparring with Washington over foreign and social policy.
“We’re going through a very difficult period in American-Hungarian relations,” Orbán said in a video on his official social media page.
The Democratic administration expects us to do things that we cannot deliver. They want us to enter the #RussiaUkraineWar, support #migration and the #LGBTQ frenzy. This is taking it’s toll on US-Hungarian relations. pic.twitter.com/sQh35O3Yi5
— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) March 14, 2024
Orbán blamed the conflict on US officials’ attempts to change Hungary’s positions on the war in Ukraine, as well as on migration and LGBT rights.
“The American administration expects things from Hungary that we don’t want to deliver and can’t deliver,” he said.
“They expect us to enter the war [in Ukraine] — but we don’t want to enter the war,” Orbán said.
“They expect to say what they say: that migration is a good thing which just needs to be managed. But we think it’s a bad thing and it shouldn’t be managed,” he added.
The PM went on to claim the Biden administration has grown hostile to Hungary’s government, and so aims to replace it with something else.
“The only solution is to replace us,” Orbán claimed. “And this is why the current US administration is openly giving money to the left-wing opposition. To left-wing journalists. To left-wing media. To left-wing NGOs.”
“We’re allies. Not slaves,” he said.
Hungary’s opposition to Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s bid to become NATO Secretary-General looks damaging and may be a boost to other contenders such as Estonia’s leader Kaja Kallas and Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis. https://t.co/PX6DVFyj6i
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) March 7, 2024
Orbán’s comments came shortly after US ambassador to Hungary David Pressman delivered a speech Thursday attacking the current Hungarian administration.
Speaking at Budapest’s Central European University, Pressman accused Orbán and his government of adopting “unhinged” stances on various political issues.
Pressman complained about Orbán has treated the United States as an ally, while berating his decision to improve Hungary’s relations with Russia and China instead.
A speech worth listening to.
US ambassador, David Pressman, hits out at Hungary’s ‘unhinged anti-American messaging’
In a landmark speech in Budapest on Thursday, David Pressman took direct aim at the controversial foreign policy of Hungary’s longtime prime minister, Viktor… pic.twitter.com/km7zHsZPrW
— Yasmina (@yasminalombaert) March 15, 2024
“Prime Minister Orbán, who on the one hand baselessly claims the United States government is trying to overthrow his government, publicly calls for the political defeat of the President of the United States and actively participates in US partisan political events,” argued Pressman, to those at the event.
“Hungary advocates for electoral candidates around the world from Poland to Brazil, all while decrying foreign interference here at home.”
“The choice to issue, on a daily basis, dangerously unhinged anti-American messaging is a policy choice, and it risks changing Hungary’s relationship with America,” he continued.
The speech prompted backlash from Hungarian officials, with Hungary’s International Spokesman, Zoltan Kovacs, accusing Pressman of trying to meddle in his country’s politics.
“It should be noted that [the US ambassador] David Pressman delivered his speech today at the Soros-funded [Central European University],” he wrote.
“Just another example of the political machinations of the liberal left that we’ve witnessed for the past decade.”
“The US ambassador no longer even pretends to be neutral or avoid playing in domestic politics,” he added.
Secret documents show the European Union is planning to intentionally damage Hungary’s economy if the country decides to reject more funding for Ukraine at an upcoming meeting in Brussels.@philippilk | @JanosBoka_HU https://t.co/6Ge9nqTb6v
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) January 29, 2024
