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The United States’ ambassador to Hungary sharply criticized Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán for disregarding the country’s alliance with NATO, describing him as a leader who “embraces” Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ambassador David Pressman said Hungary “relies upon its NATO allies but feels comfortable disregarding the interests of those same allies and our alliance, including during a time of war in Europe,” while speaking to a gathering of business leaders at an American Chamber of Commerce event Tuesday night in Budapest.
“That disregard is evident when the [Hungarian] prime minister embraces Putin, when his government threatens to hold up crucially needed aid to its neighbor, Ukraine, while Ukrainian men, women, and children are murdered by war criminals,” Pressman added.
Orbán has threatened to veto a planned €50 billion in aid for Ukraine and has adamantly opposed opening accession negotiations with Kyiv, after the European Commission recommended in November to start membership talks. EU leaders are due to back the recommendation at an upcoming summit this month — a move Orbán threatens to block.
The Hungarian leader has also courted Russia and met Putin in Beijing in October, which he said he was “proud” to do. A photograph of Orbán and Putin shaking hands drew condemnation across the EU.
The U.S. ambassador also criticized Orbán’s anti-American rhetoric, including a claim from a leaked CIA report that he views the U.S. as one of the biggest enemies of his Fidesz party.
“When the prime minister declares the United States as one of Hungary’s top ‘adversaries’ or states publicly that the United States government is trying to overthrow his government, those words land not only in Washington, D.C., but in your headquarters and in your board rooms,” Pressman said.
The U.S. envoy took aim at Hungary’s rule-of-law backsliding and limited press freedom, pointing to an “alarming” bill to create a body with broad powers to investigate foreign interference that critics have warned would be used to intimidate political opponents and undermine civil society.
“This draft law makes Moscow’s foreign agent law look mild and meek,” Pressman said.
Pressman, who was appointed the American envoy to Hungary last year, has been an outspoken critic — and frequent target — of the Hungarian government.
