Jim Risch, the top-ranking Republican on the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said on June 14 he will postpone a $735 million arms sale to Hungary until the country drops its opposition to Sweden joining NATO. Hungary, however, insists it has no desire to buy the US munitions.
Conservative politician Risch’s decision blocks the sale of 24 HIMARS rocket-launchers and more than 100 rockets along with associated parts and support.
“For some time now, I have directly expressed my concerns to the Hungarian government regarding its refusal to move forward a vote for Sweden to join NATO,” Risch said.
“Given promises that were made to me and others last year that this vote would be done, and the fact that it is now June and still not done, I decided that the sale of new US military equipment to Hungary will be on hold. Hungary should take the actions necessary to allow Sweden into the alliance, and soon.”
The Hungarian Ministry of Defence flatly denies it ordered any HIMARS, stating: “In the previous administration, the government commissioner in charge of procurement requested information on HIMARS missile systems in a letter with a deadline of March 2022. There was no response from the US side and the Ministry considered the matter closed. The Ministry of Defence has no plans to procure a HIMARS missile system.”
Under US law, major arms deals are reviewed by the top Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee.
Sweden applied last year to join NATO as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine but Hungary is not backing the move. The Scandinavian country’s leaders have repeatedly criticised Hungary, expressing concerns about the direction of political developments there and pushing for the European Union to take tougher action regarding the Hungarian government.
The Swedish Prime Minister is asking what the Hungarian MPs' problem is.
Let me help you understand with some examples:
3 March 2021 – Ulf Kristersson (then leader of the Moderate Party, now Prime Minister):
“For the EU large parts of the job still remain to break the…
— Balázs Orbán (@BalazsOrban_HU) March 23, 2023
Hungary is not alone in its displeasure towards Sweden; Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan was quoted on June 14 as saying the Swedes should not expect a positive change of attitude from Ankara on its NATO membership bid at a summit meeting next month.
Turkey accuses Sweden of being too lenient toward groups that Ankara says pose security threats. It also says Sweden has not taken a strong enough stance against protests directed at the Turkish government and over the burning of Qurans – all of which is allowed in Sweden under the country’s freedom-of-speech rules.
US President, Joe Biden, and Nato Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, met on June 13 at the White House and are hoping to announce Sweden’s membership of NATO at the alliance’s summit in Lithuania this summer.
