Hungary pressures EU by delaying Finland, Sweden NATO vote

By JUSTIN SPIKE
Associated Press

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Nearly a year after Sweden and Finland officially applied to join NATO following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, their admission into the military alliance remains unresolved because two NATO members — Turkey and Hungary — still haven’t approved their bids. Although Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly raised specific objections to the countries — especially Sweden — joining NATO, Hungary’s populist prime minister, Viktor Orban, has long signaled that his country’s support for expansion and has repeatedly promised that Hungary’s parliament would soon vote to ratify. But a succession of postponements have caused frustration in Sweden, Finland and beyond, and have raised questions over what Hungary hopes to achieve through them.