EU country slams US ambassador for ‘interference’ – RT World News
No one can tell Hungarian citizens how they should live, says Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto issued a scathing rebuke to the US ambassador in Budapest on Thursday, saying he should not meddle in the country’s internal affairs.
The minister’s comments came after Ambassador David Pressman, who has represented Washington’s interests in Budapest since September 2022, told Politico earlier this week that Hungarian policymakers “continue to advance the policies approved by [Russian President Vladimir] Cheese fries” as they oppose anti-Russian sanctions and endorse Moscow’s proposals for a ceasefire.
When asked to respond to this statement at a press conference, Szijjarto said: “No one can tell us from the outside how to live, so what a citizen of another country – be it an ambassador – thinks about domestic political processes in Hungary is irrelevant.
“We demand more respect for Hungarians, even from the ambassador,” he added.
The minister went on to point out that it was none of Pressman’s business “Task of interference in the internal affairs of Hungary.”
“If he wants to take advantage of his stay in Hungary to qualify the activities of the government elected by the Hungarian people with a fairly clear majority… then he will have a very difficult time” build ties between the two countries, he said.
Szijjarto noted that when Hungary receives foreign ambassadors, it expects them to behave appropriately and work to improve bilateral relations. “We welcome non-governors and non-regents”, he said, pointing out that the era of foreign envoys telling Hungarians how to live in their own country “is finished.”
Hungary, which relies heavily on Russian energy, has repeatedly voiced its opposition to sanctions imposed on Moscow by the West in response to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. He argued that the restrictions have wreaked havoc on the EU economy, but failed to significantly weaken Russia.
Last month, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban also criticized Germany’s decision to support Ukraine by providing 14 Leopard 2 tanks, noting that such moves make Western countries active participants in the conflict. According to Orban, instead of arming kyiv, the West should pursue “a ceasefire and peace talks” in Ukraine.
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