A bipartisan delegation of U.S. senators visited Hungary's capital on Sunday to push the nationalist government to promptly endorse Sweden's request to join NATO. Hungary remains the only NATO member out of 31 countries to have not yet ratified Sweden's bid, with mounting pressure on Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's government to act after more than 18 months of delay. During a news conference at the U.S. Embassy in Budapest, the visiting senators, including Sen. Thom Tillis and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, announced a joint resolution to Congress condemning alleged democratic backsliding in Hungary and calling for the lifting of Hungary's block on Sweden's integration into the military alliance.

Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland had raised the possibility of imposing sanctions on Hungary for its conduct, calling Orbán "the least reliable member of NATO." The resolution mentions Hungary's failure to fulfill promises not to be the last NATO ally to approve Sweden's membership, jeopardizing trans-Atlantic security. Despite Orbán indicating a potential ratification of Sweden's NATO accession in the upcoming spring session of Parliament, no members of the Hungarian government met with the visiting U.S. delegation. Sen. Chris Murphy expressed concerns over the government's refusal to meet but highlighted that the responsibility lies with Orbán to push for a vote in Parliament.

The senators' resolution criticizes Orbán's close ties with Russia and China, as well as Hungary's resistance to some EU sanctions against Russia. Orbán has faced criticism for flouting EU standards on democracy and the rule of law, with the EU withholding funding from Budapest over alleged breaches of its regulations. The resolution underscores the pivotal role Hungary could play in European and trans-Atlantic security, emphasizing the need for the immediate approval of Sweden's NATO accession. The delegation remains optimistic that Sweden's membership will be submitted for ratification when Hungarian lawmakers reconvene on February 26.