US-Hungary relations at new low: Dialogue with Hungary not efficient, US will act – UPDATED

david pressman us ambassador
Source: US Embassy Budapest

US Ambassador David Pressman delivered a long speech on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Hungary’s accession to NATO. He underlined multiple times that the United States is for dialogue and cooperation; however, this often doesn’t work with the current Hungarian government. In times like this, he said, the United States acts because that’s all the Orbán cabinet understands. Judging by his speech, it is clear that the two governments have reached a point again where dialogue is no longer enough.

“The United States cares about Hungary, we care about Hungarians, we admire and are in awe of your culture and history, and we want a close relationship.  We’re not really asking for much: transparency, dialogue, nonpartisanship, and commitment to democracy would suffice,” David Pressman, US Ambassador to Hungary, said on Thursday in Budapest on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Hungary’s accession to NATO.

25th anniversary of Hungary’s accession to NATO

The venue was symbolic: it was the former CEU building on Nádori Street in Budapest. Pressman reminded the audience that the university had been forced to move its headquarters to Vienna because of measures taken by Viktor Orbán’s government in connection with opening to the East.

In his speech, the Ambassador recalled that the Hungarian Prime Minister interpreted NATO accession as a correction of a historical injustice and stressed the country’s commitment to democracy and the rule of law. Pressman contrasted this with the problematic policy decisions taken by the current Hungarian government, such as its hostile rhetoric towards the United States, its seizure of the media, corruption and its attempts to dismantle the rule of law.

The Ambassador stressed that the United States will continue to seek dialogue with Hungary, but will not accept behaviour that is contrary to democratic values and the principles of NATO. As an example, he cited that they were forced to restrict access to ESTA for Hungarian citizens because the Hungarian government refused to address security concerns raised by the US side, 24.hu writes.

Close ties with Moscow, peace plan based on fantasy

Pressman also pointed out that the United States and its allies are concerned about the Hungarian government’s close ties with Moscow. He remarked that instead of playing a prominent role in supporting Ukraine, the Orbán cabinet is representing Russian interests and creating tensions within NATO. The ambassador also criticised the Hungarian peace plan:

“Does Hungary truly believe that if our partners and allies stop our military support for Ukraine as it fights on its own territory for its very survival, Russia would then come to the negotiating table? Or would Russia do what it has done elsewhere and seize more of their land, pillage more of their property, deprive more of their people of freedom, kidnap more of their children? The Hungarian policy is based on a fantasy that disarming Ukraine will stop Putin. History shows it would do the reverse. It is not a proposal for peace; it is capitulation.”

Accusing others of interfering in internal offers – Hungary does just that

The ambassador also recalled that Hungary regularly accuses Western countries of trying to interfere in its internal affairs, but Pressman said it is the other way around. This is illustrated by the fact that Viktor Orbán recently visited the US, where he did not meet with members of the US government, but did meet with Donald Trump, the challenger to US President Joe Biden. Moreover, Orbán openly supports Trump in the presidential election, while it is up to the American people to decide on the US president, Pressman noted.

Three steps are needed for the future, Pressman underlined. First, the Hungarian government must decide whether it wants to improve its relations with the United States. Second, security concerns must be taken seriously and not used for political ends. Third, the US will continue to be pragmatic in its relations with Hungary, urging that the political mandate for fruitful discussions be in place.

“How we speak about each other matters. There is room to criticize – no government is perfect, including my own.  The United States’ great strength has been our readiness to confront our shortcomings and debate them openly. While the Hungarian government’s wild rhetoric in state-controlled media may incite passion, or ignite an electoral base, the choice to issue, on a daily basis, dangerously unhinged anti-American messaging is a policy choice, and it risks changing Hungary’s relationship with America,” Pressman said.

UPDATE:  Hungary ‘regards US with great respect’, says official

Hungary regards the United States with great respect and has always done so, Tamas Menczer, the state secretary for bilateral relations, said on Facebook in connection with a speech delivered on Thursday by David Pressman, the US ambassador to Hungary. “But today’s speech was not worthy of an ambassador; it was rather a speech of a left-wing political activist,” Menczer said. Pressman gave a speech in Budapest entitled “On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Hungary’s accession to the NATO Alliance”.

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