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US issues subtle threat to Hungary

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
15 Mar 2024 16:29
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US Ambassador to Hungary David Pressman said that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban was isolating his country from the Western "community of democracies."

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban gives a speech on the steps of the National Museum in Budapest, Hungary, on Friday, March 15, 2024 (AP)

After Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban issued comments expressing hopes for Donald Trump to win the US elections, US Ambassador to Hungary, David Pressman, said that Orban was isolating his country from the Western "community of democracies" and that ties between the two countries should not rely on "temporary" leaders.

"While the Orban government may want to wait out the United States government, the United States will certainly not wait out the Orban administration. While Hungary waits, we will act," Pressman said during an event dedicated to the 25th anniversary of Hungary’s accession to NATO held at the Central European University (CEU) in Budapest.

Since Orban accused the Hungarian-born US billionaire George Soros of utilizing NGOs to exert political pressure, the private institution, established in the early 1990s by Soros himself, has encountered a crackdown in Budapest.

According to Pressman, the relocation of the CEU to Vienna and its move "further to the west as Hungary opened eastward [...] "epitomizes the sacrifice of something great in exchange for… talking points."

He added that Budapest's neutral stance with regard to Moscow and its refusal to align with the US stance on the Ukraine war are major points of contention.

Hungary is ignoring the "legitimate security concerns" of the other members of NATO and is "standing with Russia" by calling for a negotiated peace, he said, while describing the latter as a call for Ukraine’s "surrender and subjugation."

"This is not the approach of the Transatlantic alliance," he added.

Pressman also commented on Orban's allies who employ a "wild rhetoric" and "dangerously unhinged anti-American messaging" to refer to those who depict the US are meddling in other countries' domestic affairs.

"We’re not really asking for much: transparency, dialogue, nonpartisanship, and a commitment to democracy would suffice," the ambassador described what course correction was expected from the host nation.

He further noted that Washington mandates NATO members to align with its stance on significant matters, and while disagreements may exist on numerous other issues, there is no objection to this requirement.