In a recent development, Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström has firmly rejected Hungary's call for negotiations regarding Sweden's bid to join NATO. Billström stated that he saw no reason to negotiate at this point and expressed hope that Hungary would ratify Sweden's membership as soon as possible.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had reached out to his Swedish counterpart, Ulf Krissterson, in a letter obtained by POLITICO, calling for a meeting and emphasizing the importance of "strong mutual trust" between the two countries. Orbán's invitation also included discussions on various issues of common interest, such as bilateral relations, security and defense cooperation, and Hungary's upcoming presidency of the Council of the European Union.

However, Billström pointed out that Orbán's letter had a different tone compared to the Hungarian Prime Minister's earlier tweet, which suggested negotiations on Sweden's NATO accession. The Swedish minister highlighted the distinction between the content of the letter and the tweet, stating that "what is written on X is another." He stressed that Sweden welcomed a constructive conversation on the matter.

The sudden proposal for negotiations from Hungary comes at a time when Turkey's parliament is on the verge of ratifying Sweden's bid to join NATO, leaving Hungary as the only NATO country hindering Stockholm's application. Budapest has expressed displeasure over Stockholm's criticism of Hungary's perceived regression in adherence to the EU's democratic principles.

For now, Sweden remains firm in its position, asserting that there is no need for negotiations and expressing the hope that Hungary will ratify its membership swiftly. The outcome of these developments will be closely watched as Sweden seeks to secure its place within the NATO alliance.

It remains to be seen how Hungary will respond to Sweden's rejection and whether it will seek alternative avenues to address the concerns of its diplomatic counterpart.