US Congressional Delegation Visits Hungary to Support Sweden's NATO Membership Bid

A bipartisan delegation from the US Congress is visiting Hungary on Sunday as pressure mounts on Budapest to approve Sweden's NATO membership when Parliament reconvenes after the winter break. Hungary is the only NATO member that has not ratified Sweden's application to join, a process requiring the approval of all members, leading to strained relations with the United States and raising concerns among its allies. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, whose relations with Russia are described as better than those of other EU countries and most NATO members, has stated that his government supports Sweden's accession to the alliance, but a decision on approval has not yet been made. The US embassy stated on Friday that members of the Senate would travel to Hungary "on a mission focused on the strategic issues facing NATO and Hungary." The Hungarian Parliament is set to reconvene in late February.