US lawmakers call on Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán to immediately approve Sweden’s NATO membership

By JUSTIN SPIKE
Associated Press

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers are urging Hungary to immediately ratify Sweden’s application to join NATO. They say that patience with the Central European country is “wearing thin.” Hungary is the only country in the 31-nation military alliance that hasn’t yet backed Sweden’s membership bid. Frustration has mounted within NATO as Budapest has repeatedly pushed back a vote on ratification. U.S. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Thom Tillis released a joint statement on Thursday. They called on Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to advance Sweden’s bid without delay. Shaheen and Tillis also said that continuing to hold up the process would harm Budapest’s relations with its allies. U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin in a separate statement called Orbán “the least reliable member of NATO.”