In a bipartisan effort, a delegation of U.S. senators visited Budapest, Hungary to press the nationalist government to promptly approve Sweden's request to join NATO. Hungary stands as the sole NATO member that has not yet ratified Sweden's bid, despite the unanimous approval required for a new country to enter the military alliance.

During the visit, Senators Thom Tillis, Jeanne Shaheen, and Chris Murphy emphasized the importance of Hungary's role in European and trans-Atlantic security. The senators condemned alleged democratic regression in Hungary and called for Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's government to lift its block on Sweden's integration into NATO.

Orbán, who has led Hungary since 2010, expressed a willingness to move towards ratifying Sweden's NATO membership at the start of the spring parliamentary session. Despite the government's prior skepticism due to purported misinformation from Swedish politicians, Orbán acknowledged that the conflict with Sweden is nearing resolution.

The senators' resolution also criticized Hungary's warming relations with Russia and China, noting the government's resistance to European Union sanctions against Russia. Orbán's administration, known for flouting EU standards on democracy, has faced criticism and funding withholding from the European Union.

While some Hungarian officials dismissed external pressures, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó welcomed the U.S. senators' visit but stated that Hungary is a sovereign nation not to be influenced. The delegation expressed disappointment at the lack of meetings with Hungarian government members but remained hopeful for Sweden's NATO accession to be submitted for ratification when the parliament reconvenes on February 26th.