Hungary may vote to ratify Sweden's NATO membership on February 26
Kyiv • UNN
The Hungarian parliament may vote on February 26 to ratify Sweden's application for NATO membership, as the ruling Fidesz party has promised to support the proposal.
The Hungarian parliament on Monday, February 26, may vote on the ratification of Sweden's application for NATO membership, the ruling Fidesz party has made a proposal to this effect, promising to support it, Hungarian government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs said on Tuesday, UNN reports.
Mate Kocsis, leader of the Fidesz parliamentary group, suggests that the Hungarian National Assembly should hold a final vote on ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO on February 26, assuring that Fidesz will support this initiative
Reaction of Sweden
Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson welcomed news of Hungary's plans to ratify Sweden's membership in NATO, Reuters reports.
"We certainly welcome it," the media quoted Johnson as saying at a press conference.
Addendum
Hungary is the only NATO member that has not yet approved Sweden's 2022 membership application. The government in Budapest accused Stockholm of a policy of "vilification" and demanded more "respect" from Sweden.
Sweden applied for NATO membership along with its neighboring country Finland in May 2022 in response to Russia's war against Ukraine. Finland was able to join the military alliance in April 2023, while Sweden had to wait due to blockades by Turkey and Hungary. In late January, Ankara gave the green light for Sweden to join.
