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☆ Hungary Far-Right Would Lay Claim to Neighbouring Region, if Ukraine Loses War
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungary's far-right Our Homeland party would lay claim to a western region of Ukraine that is home to about 150,000 ethnic Hungarians if Ukraine loses its statehood due to Russia's invasion, the party's leader said late on Saturday. "Regarding the war in Ukraine, our message is very simple: immediate ceasefire, peace and a resolution through talks," Toroczkai said in a video posted on his party's website, calling for autonomy for ethnic Hungarians in western Ukraine. "If this war ends up with Ukraine losing its statehood, because this is also on the cards, then as the only Hungarian party taking this position, let me signal that we lay claim to Transcarpathia," he said, drawing applause from the crowd. Budapest has clashed with Kyiv over what it says are curbs on the rights of roughly 150,000 ethnic Hungarians to use their native tongue. Last month all European Union states except Hungary, which is also a member of NATO, agreed to start EU accession talks with Ukraine.

Persons: Laszlo Toroczkai, Toroczkai, Viktor Orban, Zoltan Kovacs, Peter Szijjarto, Dmytro Kuleba, Denys Shmyhal, Boldizsar Gyori, William Maclean Organizations: Homeland, Dutch Forum for Democracy, Ukraine, Hungarian Foreign Ministry, Hungarian, Union, NATO Locations: BUDAPEST, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Budapest, Hungarian, Hungary

☆ NATO Accession Looks to Be 'Not a Priority' for Sweden, Hungary Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Sweden has not done anything to boost confidence in its suitability for NATO membership, and has given the impression that joining the alliance is not a priority for the country, an aide to Hungary's prime minister said on Thursday. Sweden applied to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in May 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine but the accession process, which requires the approval of all existing members, has been held up by Turkey and Hungary. Gulyas suggested that Sweden's foreign minister or prime minister should "get in touch and ask what concerns the Hungarian parliament has" about Sweden's NATO accession. Replying to a reporter's question, he said Hungary wanted to avoid being the last country to ratify Sweden's NATO accession, but "we will probably not manage to do so without Sweden's help. The Turkish parliament's general assembly may debate Sweden's NATO membership bid in the coming weeks, the ruling AK Party's parliamentary group chairman said last week.

Persons: Viktor Orban's, Gulyas, Gergely Szakacs, Anita Komuves, Marie, Alex Richardson Organizations: NATO, Atlantic Treaty Organization, Nordic, Turkish, AK, Marie Mannes Locations: BUDAPEST, Sweden, Ukraine, Turkey, Hungary, Swedish, Moscow, Budapest, Stockholm

In Hungary, central bank governor Gyorgy Matolcsy is under pressure from Viktor Orban's government to cut rates further ahead of local and European Parliament elections next year. Reuters GraphicsTANGIBLE BENEFITSA 2021 World Bank survey found that political meddling in central bank policy led to sustained periods of high inflation in emerging market economies such as Turkey and Argentina. "Attempts to bring the president of the NBP before the State Tribunal can be directly interpreted as an attack on the independence of the central bank," the spokesman said. How those premia evolve will depend partly on how politics in Poland and Hungary is perceived by investors to influence the central banks in the months to come. "Everything else being equal, the less independent the central bank, the more real yield you need to have to be compensated for the risk," said Arif Joshi at Lazard Asset Management.

Persons: Adam Glapinski, Gyorgy Matolcsy, Viktor Orban's, Donald Tusk's, Karen Vartapetov, Paul Gamble, Glapinski's, Glapinski, Marta Kightley, Orban, Peter Virovacz, Arif Joshi, Karol Badohal, Gergely, Mark John, Toby Chopra Organizations: WARSAW, Law and Justice, U.S . Federal Reserve, EU, Sovereign, Investor, Emerging, Fitch, Local, ING, Lazard Asset Management, Thomson Locations: Hungarian, Poland, Hungary, BUDAPEST, Europe, Turkey, Argentina, WARSAW

☆ Hungary's Ruling Party Submits Bill on 'Protecting National Sovereignty'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's ruling Fidesz party submitted a bill on "protecting national sovereignty" to parliament on Tuesday to defend against what it called undue political interference by foreign persons or groups. The bill would set up a separate authority to explore and monitor risks of political interference and recommend changes in regulations. It would also punish banned foreign financing for parties or groups running for election with up to three years in prison. "Hungary's sovereignty is impaired -- and it also carries a heightened risk to national security -- if political power gets into the hands of persons or organisations dependent on any foreign power, organisation or person," the bill said. Orban, who has a two-thirds majority in parliament that allows Fidesz to change any legislation, scored his fourth landslide victory in 2022.

Persons: Viktor Orban's, Orban, Ursula von der Leyen, Boldizsar Gyori, Josie Kao Organizations: European Union, Communist, Fidesz, EU, Ukraine Locations: BUDAPEST, Hungarian, Hungary

People walk past the new headquarters of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in Canary Wharf, London, Britain, September 14, 2023. REUTERS/Alishia Abodunde/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsSummaryCompanies Move follows Hungary govt exit from Erste unitGovt raising financing for airport transactionExit 'good news' for sector's stability -EBRDBUDAPEST, Nov 15 (Reuters) - The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is selling its 15% stake in Erste Group Bank's (ERST.VI) Hungarian unit back to the Austrian group after the Hungarian government's recent exit from the bank, a top EBRD official told Reuters. Austrian lender Erste said on Friday it was repurchasing a 15% stake in its Hungarian subsidiary, currently held by Hungarian state-owned Corvinus International Investments. Francis Malige, EBRD managing director of financial institutions, said the investment had been designed to help the Hungarian bank recapitalise while supporting a positive relationship with the authorities. "We received a call notice from Erste last Friday and are proceeding with the sale of our stake to the group, based on terms agreed during our 2016 investment."

Persons: Alishia, Viktor Orban, Marton Nagy, Francis Malige, Malige, Orban, Gergely Szakacs, Louise Heavens Organizations: European Bank for Reconstruction, REUTERS, Erste Group, Reuters, Economic, Budapest Airport, Austrian, Erste, International Investments, Erste Bank, Thomson Locations: Canary Wharf, London, Britain, Hungary, Erste, BUDAPEST, Austrian, Hungarian, Erste Bank Hungary

[1/5] Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban speaks as he arrives for an EU summit in Brussels, Belgium December 10, 2020. Hours after he spoke, thousands rallied in Hungary's capital Budapest, a liberal stronghold that has largely opposed Orban's agenda. Some voiced fears that Hungary might end up leaving the EU under his rule, a prospect Orban has repeatedly dismissed. Brussels is only a bad contemporary parody," Orban said in a speech in the western town of Veszprem carried exclusively by public television. "Moscow was beyond repair, but Brussels and the EU can still be fixed," Orban said, adding that current leaders of the bloc failed to protect Europe's safety, freedom and wellbeing.

Persons: Viktor Orban, John Thys, Orban, Hungary's, " Orban, Vladimir Putin, Gabor Sebo, Gergely Szakacs, Ed Osmond, Ros Russell Organizations: Pro, EU, U.S, Wood & Company, Thomson Locations: Hungarian, Brussels, Belgium, Budapest, BUDAPEST, Hungary, Hungary's, Moscow, Veszprem, U.S, China, Ukraine, Europe, Russia, EU

☆ Hungary to ban rallies supporting 'terrorist organisations' -PM Orban
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban attends the informal meeting of European heads of state or government, in Granada, Spain October 6, 2023. REUTERS/Juan Medina/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBUDAPEST, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Hungary will not allow any rallies supporting "terrorist organisations," Prime Minister Viktor Orban told public radio on Friday, adding that all Hungarian citizens should feel safe, regardless of their faith or origin. Hamas is designated a terrorist organisation by Israel, the United States, European Union, Canada, Egypt and Japan. "It is shocking that there are sympathy rallies supporting the terrorists across Europe," Orban said, referencing the European fallout from the Hamas attack on Israel. "But we will not allow sympathy rallies supporting terrorist organisations as that would entail a terror threat to Hungarian citizens."

Persons: Viktor Orban, Juan Medina, Orban, Nationalist Orban, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Khaled Meshaal, " Orban, Gergely, Christina Fincher Organizations: Hungary's, REUTERS, Rights, Hamas, Israel, Hungarian Foreign Ministry, Facebook, Thomson Locations: Granada, Spain, Hungary, Israel, Gaza, United States, European Union, Canada, Egypt, Japan, Europe, Palestine, Budapest

☆ Hungary plans to sell 'non-strategic assets' to buy Budapest Airport
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BUDAPEST, Oct 2 (Reuters) - Hungary plans to sell non-strategic assets to partially finance its acquisition of Budapest airport, Economic Development Minister Marton Nagy told reporters on the sidelines of a business conference on Monday. He did not say which assets the government might sell. Since Prime Minister Viktor Orban took power in 2010, his government has boosted Hungarian ownership in the energy, banking, telecoms and media sectors. The government submitted a new formal bid for a majority stake in Budapest Airport last month, with talks underway with several airport operators, one of them in Qatar, to join as a minority partner. Reporting by Gergely Szakacs Writing by Boldizsar Gyori; Editing by Kirsten DonovanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Marton Nagy, Viktor Orban, Gergely, Boldizsar Gyori, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Economic, Thomson Locations: BUDAPEST, Hungary, Budapest, Qatar

[1/2] A general view of Polish shoe retailer CCC shop is pictured, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Warsaw, Poland, September 8, 2020. "Let me tell you, there was a time when I couldn't even afford to buy salmon, for example. Buczek has benefited from the fact that PiS has raised her pension as part of hefty welfare spending moves which, opinion surveys show, are easing Poles' concerns over high inflation. The Polish minimum wage, already the highest in central Europe, will rise by nearly a fifth next year. With many houseowners on variable loan rates, Warsaw recently extended a scheme for mortgage repayment holidays into next year.

Persons: Kacper, Jadwiga Buczek, Buczek, PiS, Steffen Dyck, Adam Glapinski, Fitch, Federico Barriga Salazar, Andrzej Kuzniak, Moody's Dyck, Kacper Pempel, Jan Strupczewski, Gergely, Mark John, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Justice, European Union, European Commission, National Bank of, Sovereign Risk, Moody's, International Monetary Fund, Civic Coalition, Thomson Locations: Warsaw, Poland, WARSAW, Poland's, Europe, NBP, Brussels

☆ Two People Killed in Explosion in Northern Hungary -Media
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Two people, including a police officer, were killed and several others injured in an explosion during a police operation in the northern city of Esztergom, online media reported on Wednesday. Hungarian online media reported that the blast went off in a house on the outskirts of the city near the Slovak border as police responded to a threat. Local media said the explosion also killed the perpetrator, who was yet to be identified. In a Facebook post, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban expressed condolences to a police officer killed on duty without specifically referring to the incident reported in local media. His ruling Fidesz parliamentary group also said in a statement that a police officer was killed in an explosion in the northern city of Esztergom.

Persons: Viktor Orban, Gergely Szakacs, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Wednesday . Police Locations: BUDAPEST, Esztergom, Hungarian

Member of the rate-setting Monetary Council of the National Bank of Hungary Gyula Pleschinger speaks during an interview with Reuters in Budapest, Hungary, September 14, 2023. REUTERS/Krisztina Than Acquire Licensing RightsBUDAPEST, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Hungary's central bank could cut its base rate to 10-11% by the end of the year from 13%, a rate-setter told Reuters, warning however against big or unexpected moves amid the fallout from a larger-than-expected rate cut in Poland last week. Once that alignment takes place, the NBH will simplify its policy toolkit further, which could include making the interest rate corridor around its base rate symmetrical, he said. "From that point onwards, we will take all of our steps in a very serious, data-driven mode, looking at the market, tracking the market," Pleschinger said. Asked about the fallout from the National Bank of Poland's much-larger-than-expected 75 bps interest rate cut last week that saw regional currencies weaken, Pleschinger said Hungary's central bank should tread carefully.

Persons: National Bank of Hungary Gyula Pleschinger, Gyula Pleschinger, unwinding, Pleschinger, Disinflation, Gergely Szakacs, Hugh Lawson Organizations: National Bank of Hungary, Reuters, REUTERS, Rights, European, National Bank of, Thomson Locations: Budapest, Hungary, Poland, National Bank of Poland's

More than a year later, she was told her application required a key document that was stuck behind enemy lines in Ukraine. "There's always a trade-off between rapid and sustainable labour market integration," said Thomas Liebig, chief economist for the OECD's international migration department. Researchers from Minor, a migration policy think tank, said the large-scale inflow of refugees from Ukraine is seen as a great opportunity in Germany. While the refugees' fate is partly tied to the unknowable course of the Ukraine war, the EU's temporary protection scheme for Ukraine refugees is at present due to expire in March 2024. This puts employers who want to hire refugees in a difficult situation, as they don't know if Ukrainian refugees will be able to stay.

Persons: Maria, Lukas Barth, Svetlana Chuhil, Chuhil, Lauren, Thomas Liebig, Oksana Krotova, Krotova, Ildiko Pallman, Gizem Uensal, Enzo Weber, Jan Lopatka, Catherine Evans Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Deloitte, Reuters, OECD, United Nations, Minor, German Institute for Employment Research, Thomson Locations: Mykolaiv, Ukraine, Aschheim, Munich, Germany, BERLIN, WARSAW, Poland, Zgorzelec, Goerlitz, Paris, Europe's, Berlin, Kyiv, Prague

WASHINGTON, June 14 (Reuters) - The top Republican on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee said on Wednesday he was blocking a $735 million arms sale to Hungary because its government has refused to approve Sweden's bid to join NATO. "Hungary should take the actions necessary to allow Sweden into the alliance, and soon," he said. Under U.S. 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. Objections from Turkey and Hungary have delayed the bid and Sweden now hopes to join by a NATO summit in Lithuania next month.

Persons: Jim Risch, Jens Stoltenberg, Joe Biden, Patricia Zengerle, Gergely Szakacs, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Republican, U.S . Senate Foreign Relations, NATO, U.S, Republicans, Senate Foreign Relations, Representatives Foreign, Committee, Washington Post, Hungarian Defense Ministry, White, Thomson Locations: Hungary, Sweden, Washington, U.S, Ukraine, Turkey, Lithuania, Budapest

☆ Child, 11, dies after Turkish Airlines flight makes emergency landing in Budapest
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BUDAPEST, June 11 (Reuters) - An 11-year-old child died after losing consciousness on board a Turkish Airlines flight en route to New York from Istanbul, with medical services unable to resuscitate the child after the plane made an emergency landing in Budapest, news agency MTI reported. MTI said the Airport Medical Service was scrambled to the scene after flight TK003 landed in Budapest on Sunday, but the child could not be saved despite prompt medical attention. Reporting by Gergely Szakacs; Editing by Alex RichardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: MTI, TK003, Gergely Szakacs, Alex Richardson Organizations: Turkish, Medical Service, Thomson Locations: BUDAPEST, New York, Istanbul, Budapest

Geoff Gottlieb, the IMF's Senior Regional Representative for Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, warned of the potential for fiscal policy to fuel inflation and so force monetary policy to remain tighter for longer. "We think Polish fiscal policy can do more to help reduce inflation," he said in an interview. "A new fiscal impetus would likely add to inflationary pressures and could also necessitate additional monetary policy tightening." "Our recommendation is for the (Monetary Policy Council) to resume monetary policy tightening if key indicators - core inflation momentum, wage growth, and the economy - fail to slow as projected," he said, urging the MPC to make clear that talk of cuts was premature. The European Commission projects Poland's average inflation rate at 6% next year, the highest in the European Union, retreating from nearly twice that level expected this year.

Farmers in Poland and other eastern European countries who held out for higher prices have been hit by a perfect storm. A jump in exports from Brazil and Russia helped to drive global grain prices lower while the EU opened its borders to tariff-free Ukrainian grain imports in a show of solidarity after Russia blocked the country's Black Sea ports. After opening its borders to Ukrainian grain, Poland imported 2.08 million tonnes of maize and 579,315 tonnes of wheat last year, up from just 6,269 tonnes of maize and 3,033 tonnes of wheat in 2021. If the grain corridor due to expire this month were to collapse, Ukrainian farmers would have little option but to send all their grain exports through eastern Europe. European wheat prices hit post-harvest highs in October 2022 of more than 350 euros a tonne but since then prices have dropped to pre-invasion levels of about 235 euros.

☆ ECB says Hungary government decree has impaired central bank independence
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BUDAPEST, April 26 (Reuters) - Hungary's government has infringed the National Bank of Hungary's (NBH) independence with a decree restricting access to the bank's discount bill and by extending a cap on large commercial bank deposits until end-June, the European Central Bank said on Wednesday. Hungary's government last month extended a cap on large commercial bank deposits until the end of June and imposed restrictions on the transfer of central bank discount bills to curb "unjust" income earned on central bank facilities. "The decree, including the interest rate cap, interferes with the independence of the (NBH), since it impedes the (NBH) from independently choosing the necessary means and instruments to conduct an efficient monetary policy," the ECB said. "Therefore, the decree infringes the independence of the (NBH) under Article 130 of the Treaty." Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government announced a cap on large commercial bank deposits after the NBH launched a quick deposit facility with an 18% interest rate last October to stem falls in the forint.

☆ Central Europe's policymakers double down on hawkish message
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Jan Lopatka | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

As central Europe's central banks were faster than their major peers to hike rates, they had also been expected to lead the way in easing. That message was underlined on Thursday when February data showed industrial wage growth in the double digits. "We do not expect a rate hike," it said after the Czech policy meeting last week. CEE inflation pushing past a peakThe Polish central bank also struck somewhat hawkish tones at its news conference on Thursday after holding rates steady. Romania's central bank left rates unchanged on Tuesday and said inflation may come down faster than previously thought.

☆ Sweden-Hungary ties at low point, Orban aide says, amid Stockholm NATO bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Welcoming Finland's entry, U.S. President Joe Biden has urged Turkey and Hungary to conclude their ratification processes for Sweden to join the alliance "without delay". Orban's chief of staff, Gergely Gulyas, reiterated ruling party concerns over Sweden's NATO bid, which he said were also shared by Orban's government. "In such a situation, NATO's unity is of paramount importance and it is not helpful if we import bilateral debates into NATO." Hungary's ratification process has been stranded in parliament since July, with Orban airing concerns about the Nordic countries' NATO membership for the first time in February. Among other criticisms, Orban has accused both countries of spreading "outright lies" about the health of democracy in Hungary.

Summary Wedding boom, fuelled by government handouts, fizzlesSurging inflation boosts wedding costs, devalues benefitsSome couples scaling back or even scrapping wedding feastsJanuary weddings fall to lowest since January 2014BUDAPEST, March 27 (Reuters) - Soaring inflation is taking the steam out of Hungary's wedding market, supercharged in recent years by Prime Minister Viktor Orban's lavish family support measures, with the number of weddings plunging to a nine-year-low at the start of 2023. In January the number of weddings recorded in Hungary fell to 1,230, preliminary data showed - the lowest number since January 2014. "We did not think that this wedding boom would be so strong and prolonged, but it will now probably return to equilibrium." Mihaly Toth, a master of wedding ceremonies, says the number of couples planning to tie the knot is likely to fall from last year's levels. "We will just have a small family get-together and then go out with some friends for the night," Szabo said.

☆ Hungary starts process to ratify Finland, Sweden NATO bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Gergely Szakacs | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] A general view as the Hungarian parliament starts debating the ratification of Finland and Sweden's NATO membership in Budapest, Hungary, March 1, 2023. Sweden and Finland applied last year to join the transatlantic defence pact after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. With Hungary's ratification process stranded in parliament since July, nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban aired concerns about Sweden and Finland's NATO membership for the first time last Friday. "Finland and Sweden's NATO membership serves our foreign policy, security and economic interests and it also strengthens NATO." Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said on Tuesday Hungary intended to send a parliamentary delegation to Finland on or around March 9 to discuss the Nordic nation's bid for accession to NATO.

☆ Wizz Air to suspend Moldova flights, citing security
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Wizz Air said in a statement it would lay on extra flights from the Romanian city of Iasi as replacements, including a new service to Berlin, and more flights to Barcelona, Milan Bergamo, Bologna, Rome Ciampino, Rome Fuimicino, Dortumand, Larnaca, London Luton and Treviso. Flights to Budapest and Prague will not be replaced and those inbound to Chisinau will be reallocated to other destinations in the Wizz Air network, it said. Tensions between Russia and Moldova have grown in recent months as Russian missiles aimed at Ukraine have entered Moldovan airspace and authorities have blamed the Kremlin for fuelling anti-government protests, something it denies. It said the civil aviation authority and the ministry of infrastructure and regional development had been in "constant cooperation" with Wizz Air representatives and informed them of the procedures in place to ensure aviation security. The aviation authority would take "all necessary actions" to return Wizz Air to Chisinau airport as soon as possible, and to attract other low-cost airlines.

☆ Hungary signals fresh delay in Finland, Sweden NATO approval
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Sweden and Finland applied last year to join the transatlantic defence pact after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. But all 30 NATO members need to back the applications and Sweden has faced objections from Turkey for harbouring what Ankara considers to be members of terrorist groups. With Hungary's ratification process stranded in parliament since July, Orban aired concerns about Sweden and Finland's NATO membership for the first time on Friday. A legislative agenda published on parliament's website this week showed a final vote on the NATO bids could take place in the week of March 6. "Parliament will put this on the agenda on Monday and start debating the legislation next week," Gulyas told a news conference.

☆ Hungary PM says more talks needed on Finland, Sweden NATO bids
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BUDAPEST, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday more talks between parliamentary groups were needed before Hungary's ratification of Finland and Sweden's NATO membership, which lawmakers will start debating next Wednesday. Orban added that in the end, it should be made clear that Hungary supports Finland and Sweden's NATO membership, but said Turkey's concerns regarding Sweden's entry should also be heard, otherwise the expansion effort could fail. "Regarding Turkey, they are also our allies, and therefore we need to hear their voice," Orban said. Turkey recently indicated it would approve only Finland for NATO membership, while Hungary says it has been delayed by a flurry of legislation required to unlock European Union funds. "We need to pay attention to Turkey as in the end, the entire process will stall.

Biden said the West was never plotting to attack Russia and the invasion was Putin's choice. "It is a big mistake," Biden said of Putin's decision before his session with eastern European allies known as the Bucharest Nine. We will defend literally every inch of NATO, every inch of NATO," he said. The Kremlin says it regards NATO, which could soon expand to include Sweden and Finland, as an existential threat to Russia. It said the leaders looked forward to further strengthening unity and collective defense at a NATO summit in Vilnius in July.

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