By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Hungary’s nationalist prime minister suggested Monday that he would not block the nomination of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as the next secretary general of the NATO military alliance despite misgivings over his past remarks about Hungarian policies.
Viktor Orbán, with Rutte among Europe’s longest-serving government leaders, was seen smiling alongside the Dutch prime minister.
The Hungarian prime minister “held talks with [premier] Mark Rutte on Monday evening in Brussels ahead of the [European Union] EU summit, focusing on bilateral and international issues,” said Zoltán Kovács, Hungary’s state secretary for international communication.
The talks came after outgoing NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg visited Budapest last week, where he urged Orbán “not to veto” Rutte’s nomination, according to sources familiar with the meeting.
Under NATO guidelines, all 32 member states have to agree on the next alliance chief.
So far, Orbán’s government had opposed Rutte, who in the past said he wanted to get “Hungary on its knees” due to rule-of-law concerns and alleged discrimination of the LGBTQ+ community.
PRO-RUSSIA
“We certainly can’t support the election of a man to the position of NATO’s secretary general, who previously wanted to force Hungary on its knees,” said Hungary’s Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó in separate remarks.
Orbán, who maintains close relations with Russia, made clear he would support Rutte’s nomination if he apologized and if Hungary wouldn’t be forced to help defend Ukraine with weapons or troops.
Yet during their talks, both leaders “agreed to look toward the future” without Rutte being forced to apologize, according to sources familiar with the late Monday meeting.
Earlier, Stoltenberg confirmed that no Hungarian personnel will participate in NATO’s plan to provide Ukraine with security assistance and training in its fight against Russia. Hungarian funds will also not be used.
“At the same time, the prime minister has assured me that Hungary will not oppose these efforts, enabling other allies to move forward,” Stoltenberg said, speaking alongside Orbán last week.
With both issues resolved, it was expected that Hungary would not block
Rutte’s next job as NATO chief.
Slovakia and Romania also opposed Rutte’s nomination, but diplomats and other observers expect these countries to accept after Hungary’s move, ahead of a NATO summit in Washington D.C. next month.
Copyright 1999-2024 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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