BRUSSELS (AP) 鈥 U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said that he and his NATO counterparts cautioned Hungary on Wednesday against further delaying Sweden鈥檚 membership in the military alliance, and he warned that patience in Washington has its limits.
Lawmakers from the party of Hungarian Prime Minister boycotted an emergency session of parliament on Monday where a vote was scheduled to place Sweden鈥檚 bid to join NATO on the legislative agenda, adding to that have angered Hungary鈥檚 allies.
The governing Fidesz party, which holds an absolute majority in Hungary's parliament, has stalled Sweden鈥檚 bid since July 2022, have told 鈥渂latant lies鈥 about the state of Hungarian democracy. The party insists that Sweden鈥檚 prime minister must come to Hungary first.
鈥淲e heard security adviser after security adviser say that it鈥檚 past time for Sweden to get in, and to directly address the representative from Hungary,鈥 Sullivan told reporters after a meeting of the organization鈥檚 top security officials at NATO headquarters in Brussels.
Sullivan said that he and his colleagues had impressed upon Hungary that 鈥渋t鈥檚 a matter of credibility and obligation that they take the necessary steps鈥 to complete the parliamentary procedures to ratify Sweden鈥檚 accession.
Sweden, along with neighboring Finland, set aside decades of military nonalignment to seek protection under NATO鈥檚 collective security umbrella after Russia launched a on Feb. 24, 2022.
Finland has since joined the trans-Atlantic alliance. The country, along with the other 30 allies, must all agree that Sweden should stand among NATO鈥檚 ranks. Hungary is the only member standing in its way.
Sullivan said that he wouldn't 鈥渟tand here today and make particular threats, or speculation about steps that we would take down the road, but of course our patience on this can鈥檛 be unlimited either.鈥
He said the U.S. will 鈥渃ontinue to watch it carefully, but hope that there is a constructive resolution to this issue in the very near term.鈥
Orb谩n, who has broken ranks with NATO allies by adopting a Kremlin-friendly stance toward Russia鈥檚 war in Ukraine, has said that he to Budapest to discuss 鈥渇uture cooperation in the field of security and defense as allies and partners.鈥
Unless another emergency session of Hungary's parliament is called to debate Sweden鈥檚 bid, the assembly is due to sit for its regular session on Feb. 26.
