For the first time since Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, Washington applied sanctions against an ally: Hungary. The government of Viktor Orban reacts perversely and wants to continue its pro-Russian policy.
Readers and viewers of the pro-government media in Hungary may have problems determining the country where the war is taking place and the party responsible for it. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is called the “Ukrainian crisis”. In turn, the United States is perceived as the aggressor – not only in relation to Ukraine , but also to Hungary. “The United States is attacking Hungary’s sovereignty and forcing the country into war,” Orban’s media unanimously argue.
The US imposes sanctions on Hungary
Such harsh anti-American tones as today were not present in Hungary even in the late years of the Real Socialist dictatorship . They are caused by the introduction by the US government of a package of anti-Russian sanctions announced on Wednesday, April 12, which also applies to Hungary. At first glance, this does not sound too serious: the Russian-Hungarian International Investment Bank (IIB) and its executives, including the Hungarian national, IIB deputy head Imre Laszloczki, are affected by the sanctions. This in itself is not unprecedented: in recent years, the US has repeatedly imposed sanctions on politicians and businessmen from allied countries, including Albania and Bulgaria. Officially unnamed Hungarian citizens were also on US sanctions lists. But now, for the first time since the beginningRussia’s aggression against Ukraine , Hungary is sanctioned as a NATO and EU country . This is because IIB is not just any bank , but a state-owned bank in which Hungary has about 25 percent of the shares. Or at least: they still have. Because on Thursday, April 13, in the afternoon, the Hungarian Ministry of Economy unexpectedly announced that Hungary wanted to withdraw from the IIB. Thus, the Hungarian government has drawn the first conclusions from the US sanctions. It is not known whether this will lead to a further change of course in Hungary’s foreign policy. In the past, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban usually took smaller steps backwards in conflicts with the US and the EU, but did not make any fundamental changes of course.
The International Investment Bank, or “Spy Bank”
The IIB is also called a “spy bank” in Hungary because its leadership comes from the Russian FSB secret services, and the head of the IIB, Nikolai Kosov, comes from a family of KGB officers. The bank, whose headquarters was moved from Moscow to Budapest in 2019, plays an important role in Russian-Hungarian relations. The deputy head of the IIB, Laszloczki, is in turn the architect of Hungarian economic policy in Russia and the republics of Central Asia.
The US sanctions against Hungary are a tipping point in the long tense and now openly hostile relations between Hungary and the US . Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has never made a secret of his antipathy to US Democrats and US President Joe Biden , and remains a friend and fan of Donald Trump to this day. He was the first EU prime minister to congratulate Trump on his election in 2017. And just recently, on the occasion of the impeachment of the former US president, Orban tweeted: “Keep on fighting, Mr. President! We are with you, Donald Trump !”.
The Hungarian foreign minister visits Moscow again
Representatives of the US governments have repeatedly critically assessed the state of democracy and the rule of law in Hungary, criticized corrupt practices in Orban’s entourage, and expressed concern about close Hungarian-Russian relations . The latter could now also tip the scales in favor of including Hungary in a new package of anti-Russian sanctions. Hungary is the only EU country that still officially maintains friendly relations with Russia and to this day only half-condemns Russia’s aggression against Ukraine . On Tuesday, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto traveled to Moscow and held talks on Russian natural gas supplies to Hungary and Russian investments in Hungary’s nuclear industry. Same day to BudapestMinister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus Sergey Alejnik came to the talks.
Homophobic attack on US ambassador to Hungary
With few exceptions, Hungary has so far supported EU anti-Russian sanctions, for which it was recently classified by Moscow as an “unfriendly country”. However, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has repeatedly advocated ending the sanctions. Orban also made accusations such as that the war would not have happened if Donald Trump had still been the president of the USA . The Hungarian prime minister indirectly blames the Biden-led US and the “pro-war” EU for Russia’s attackto Ukraine. The person of the US ambassador in Budapest, David Pressman, and his activities also contributed to the escalation of relations between Hungary and the US. Pressman is openly gay, making him an ideal target for Hungary’s homophobic government. After taking office in the Hungarian capital, the American ambassador became the target of brutal homophobic attacks from pro-government activists and the media.
Hungary continues its fierce anti-American campaign
The Hungarian government, for its part, has long accused Pressman of supporting opposition parties and seeking to overthrow Orban. One of the reasons is that the US embassy is now supporting a pro-Ukrainian Hungarian poster campaign that reads “Russians go home!”. The slogan was used by Orban’s Fidesz party in political campaigns during the fall of communism . Pressman himself is friendly in tone but critical of the Orban regime. He can’t help but make sarcastic taunts: Last fall, for example, the embassy posted an online quiz with bizarre anti-American and pro-Russian statements. They did not come from Vladimir Putin , but without exception from Hungarian politicians and publicists .
After Pressman announced US sanctions against Hungary late Wednesday afternoon, Hungary’s official reaction was predictable. Representatives of Orban’s ruling party said Hungary would defend its sovereignty and would not change its position. In turn, the pro-government media continued their fierce anti-American campaign. The popular tabloid “Origo” ran the headline: ” The US is down again: betraying all its allies and stabbing them in the back.” And the well-known journalist and friend of Orban Zsolt Bayer wrote to Pressman: “Shut your mouth, do you understand?” 

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