At the invitation US Ambassador to Hungary David Pressman a three-member US Senate delegation arrived in Hungary on Sunday, 18 February, to urge the Hungarian parliament to ratify Sweden’s NATO membership. ‘Pleased to welcome Senators Shaheen, Tillis, and Murphy to Hungary at an important moment for the NATO Alliance and the U.S.-Hungary relationship,’ David Pressman wrote on X. The US congressional delegation included Democratic Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Chris Murphy, and Republican Senator Thom Tillis, who are co-chairs of the Senate NATO Observer Group and members of the Foreign Relations Committee.

The delegation held several meetings on Sunday, including with members of the Hungarian opposition, such as Péter Ungár of LMP – Hungary’s Green Party, Momentum MEP Katalin Cseh—a vocal critic of the Hungarian government in the European Parliament—, Gergely Arató of the Democratic Coalition led by Ferenc Gyurcsány, and Tamás Harangozó of MSZP (Hungarian Socialist Party). The US senators also met with representatives of Hungarian NGOs.

At a press conference following the meetings, the delegation members said they had asked to meet with members of the governing parties as well, but unfortunately, their requests were declined. ‘We had hoped to discuss issues concerning the United States, Europe, and Hungary, such as human rights and free and fair elections. Additionally, we intended to address trade between our two countries,’ said Senator Shaheen.

Prior to the visit, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó stated that the members of the US Congress are welcome to visit Hungary, as this would allow them to see firsthand that the portrayal of Hungary in the liberal American media is an outright falsehood.

‘If their purpose is to instruct us on how we should live or what decisions we should make, I would not recommend it,’

the minister added, alluding to the real objective of the visit: to exert pressure on the Hungarian parliament to ratify Sweden’s NATO membership. ‘Attempting to apply pressure is futile because we are a sovereign nation, and we believe that one sovereign nation should not pressure another, especially when dealing with allies,’ Péter Szijjártó underlined. The Foreign Minister also clarified that he had no knowledge of any government officials being approached regarding the delegation’s arrival, noting that the usual counterparts for members of Congress are primarily MPs.

Resolution Against Hungary

As it turned out later, the US delegation arrived with precisely the objective Szijjártó had discouraged days earlier. During the press conference, Senator Shaheen declared that they would return to Washington with a bipartisan resolution urging the prompt ratification of Sweden’s NATO accession. Associated Press obtained a version of the proposal, which states, among other points, that Hungary is ‘jeopardizing transatlantic security at a pivotal moment for European peace and stability’ by delaying the acceptance of Sweden’s accession. The proposal also criticizes Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s ‘warm relationships’ with Russia and China, as well as the Hungarian government’s anti-sanctions stance.

In his State of the Nation address on the day before the visit, PM Orbán stated that the dispute with Sweden is nearing a resolution, and the parties are progressing towards an agreement. The Prime Minister mentioned that it appeared likely that the parliament could ratify Sweden’s accession to NATO on the first day of the spring session, scheduled for Monday, 26 February.

Senator Shaheen stated at the press conference that they had been informed of Viktor Orbán’s remarks and are optimistic about ratification occurring. Despite the aforementioned resolution proposal, members of the US delegation did not confirm whether they would prepare any retaliatory measures in case the ratification does not occur on 26 February.

‘We came as friends, simply awaiting the fulfillment of the Hungarian promise,’

said Senator Murphy.

All three members of the bipartisan delegation highlighted the potential significance of Sweden’s inclusion in NATO, emphasizing that, alongside Finland, the accession could enhance security in the Baltic region. Senator Tillis underscored the gravity of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, describing it as a threat not just to Hungary and Europe, but also to the democratic world order. He underlined that Finland and Sweden’s decision to join NATO represents a bold move, stressing that all NATO members should acknowledge that strengthening NATO is the appropriate response to Vladimir Putin’s hostility.

Senator Murphy adopted a firmer stance, asserting that there is no justification for delay and expressing bewilderment over Hungary’s reluctance to ratify Swedish accession. Murphy suggested that ending the war could be facilitated through military and financial assistance to Ukraine.

Undoubtedly, the imposition of pressure alongside a viceroy-like demeanour was not complete without the familiar accusations levied by the Western mainstream media against Hungary: the senators articulated concerns regarding ‘democratic regression’ and the ‘threat to media independence’. Nevertheless, the delegation reiterated that Hungary maintains its position within NATO and is not a weak link in the defence alliance.

Hungarian–Swedish Defence Agreement in the Background?

According to PM Viktor Orbán, the ratification of Sweden’s accession to NATO is imminent, and an article published by Index on Monday claims to have information about the context. The article states that a military and defence industry agreement between Hungary and Sweden has been reached in recent weeks concerning the Swedish Gripen fighter jets used by the Hungarian Air Force. Apparently, this had already been discussed in 2022 when it was stated that four new Gripens would arrive in 2024, in addition to the fourteen already in service. The leasing of the latter will expire in 2026, after which the fighters will become property of the Hungarian Defence Forces.

According to Index, the Swedish defence company SAAB is producing the latest E and F versions of the Gripen, and it is possible that

it will be a few of these to arrive in Hungary.

The new aircraft can carry more and heavier weapons over longer distances, and their radar and electronic combat systems have been upgraded. Additionally, it is worth noting that the development of the Hungarian Defence Forces’ electronic reconnaissance and combat capabilities is currently underway, and the Swedish defence industry is producing a number of systems and equipment for this purpose.

As a most recent development, at a joint press conference with his Polish counterpart today Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said he looked forward to meeting Viktor Orbán and to Sweden becoming member of NATO.

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