Hungarian Foreign Minister: US urges Hungary to let Ukraine into NATO
The Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Péter Szijjártó said in an interview with Radio Liberty that the United States during negotiations with Hungary repeatedly raised the issue of Budapest's blocking Ukraine's entry to the North Atlantic Alliance.
"For them [the US], it is a matter of geopolitics. The US sees it as a geopolitical issue from overseas. However, we're Ukraine's neighbors! One hundred fifty thousand Hungarians are living here [in Ukraine]. Therefore, it is not surprising that we look at all this situation from a different angle and generally see it differently," said Szijjártó.
According to him, the fact that Trump’s representatives continue to raise this issue should not be described as pressure, but "we cannot exclude a different view of the problem." He also added that unlike ex-President Obama's staff, which was much harsher, the current US diplomats are more loyal.
Also, Szijjártó stressed that Hungary is ready to lift the veto when its requirements are met.
"Immediately after the amendments are applied to these two laws [Ukrainian language and education laws], we will be happy to cancel this veto," the Foreign Minister said.
Earlier, Hungary criticized the Ukrainian law on language and education and asked to amend it and to support the rights of the national minorities living in Ukraine.