Impatient to see Sweden admitted as a member of NATO and as the days tick down to the alliance’s summit next month in Lithuania, a senior Republican senator blocked an arms sale to Hungary, one of the countries blocking Stockholm’s accession.
Senate Foreign Relations ranking member Jim Risch said Wednesday he had placed a hold on an arms export package to Hungary out of frustration with Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government for dragging its feet in presenting Sweden’s membership to the Hungarian parliament for a vote of approval. That’s a necessary step for the Nordic country to be able to join NATO.
“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,” the Idaho Republican said in a statement. “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 U.S. military equipment to Hungary will be on hold. Hungary should take the actions necessary to allow Sweden into the alliance, and soon.”
