Hungary: No "Urgent Necessity" for Sweden's NATO Membership

The Speaker of the Hungarian Parliament stated today, Thursday, that "there is no urgent necessity" to approve Sweden's application to join NATO, after Turkey's ratification became the last obstacle in a lengthy process. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who maintains friendly relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin despite the ongoing war in Ukraine, said on Wednesday that he would urge lawmakers to approve Sweden's membership at the earliest opportunity. The Turkish Grand National Assembly, where the ruling coalition led by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan holds a majority, voted in favor of Sweden's membership with 287 votes in favor and 55 against. Sweden applied for NATO membership for the first time in 2022 to enhance its security in response to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Sweden's accession requires official approval from all 31 member states, including Hungary, but Turkey's approval was considered the biggest hurdle to overcome.