Hungary Blames EU, NATO Allies for Failing to Deliver on Energy
- Foreign Minister Szijjarto speaks in interview on alliances
- Energy just one area of strain in U.S.-Hungarian relationship
Photographer: Balint Porneczi/Bloomberg
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A U.S. demand that Hungary diversify its energy supplies away from Russia is being stymied by its European Union and NATO allies, the government in Budapest said, pushing back against critics of its close ties with Moscow.
The central European country is under pressure to reciprocate U.S. President Donald Trump’s administation, which has embraced Viktor Orban after the Hungarian leader alienated allies with a push to eradicate liberal democracy. After Washington made a U-turn last year by vowing to engage Orban rather than criticize his democratic failings, the relationship is being played out in energy, a vital issue in a region where Russia is the dominant supplier of gas.