The Hungarian foreign minister says his nation is hoping for a return of former President Donald Trump to the White House, as he says the connection between the U.S. and Hungary has deteriorated due to the “lecturing” and interference in coverage by the Biden administration.
Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto advised Fox News Digital that his nation, which is led by a conservative authorities, had sturdy relations with the U.S. through the Trump administration, however that it has soured with the brand new Biden administration.
“We had the best ever political relationship with the United States during the term of President Trump, the best ever political relationship. And I think the reason for that was that President Trump has based this bilateral relationship on mutual respect, and he did not have the intention to judge, to lecture or educate us,” he stated. “He concentrated on America to develop — America First — and he concentrated on the relationship of ours to develop as well, which can bring mutual benefit for both sides.”
He says that now, the Biden administration has sought to intrude with home points, and highlighted a transfer in 2022 to finish a bilateral tax settlement that prevented double taxation after Hungary lowered its company revenue tax. Last month, the U.S. additionally restricted visa-free journey for Hungarian passport holders, citing safety considerations, and has additionally repeatedly criticized the federal government for its human rights document.
UNITED STATES IMPOSES TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS ON HUNGARIAN CITIZENS OVER VERIFICATION CONCERNS
Hungarian Trade and Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto speaks throughout an interview in Ankara, Turkiye on May 3, 2023. (Omer Taha Cetin/Anadolu Agency through Getty Images)
“The Democrat administration is making continuous attempts to interfere in domestic issues in Hungary, they are judging us, they are lecturing us. The fact that they have terminated and broken the bilateral tax agreement between the two countries is a clear signal that they tried to put political pressure or economic pressure on us to change policies,” he stated. “And this is unacceptable.”
He stated there isn’t a longer “mutual respect” that was there through the Trump period, and recommended that political elements are at play.
“We understand that the U.S. establishment is very unhappy with the fact that a conservative, right-wing, patriotic Christian Democrat government has been in office in Hungary for such a long time, and it is not enough that we have been in office for a long time, but we have proven to be successful, and I think this is very uncomfortable for many liberal forces around the world. So we do hope that our relationship will come back to the level where it used to be under President Trump.”
As for particular disagreements, he highlighted the battle in Ukraine. He estimates that there are 150,000 ethnic Hungarians dwelling in Ukraine, a few of whom have been conscripted into the military and deployed.
“So we Hungarians are losing our nation mates, let’s put it this way, and we do not want to lose any more Hungarians in this war. We don’t want to see any more casualties in this war — not only Hungarians, none of them,” he stated.
The U.S. has sought to finish the battle by backing Ukraine with funding and weapons to retake territory seized by the Russians, however Hungary sees delivering weapons as prolonging the battle. President Biden advised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday that the U.S. is “staying with you” as he pushes Congress to present extra funding for the battle effort.
Szijjarto stated that his nation needs to see the U.S. bringing “peace into the neighborhood, and not weapons.” He stated he believed that may be extra doubtless below former President Donald Trump, who’s operating to retake the White House in 2024 and has stated that he would launch peace talks to deliver the battle to an finish if re-elected.
TRUMP DESCRIBES HOW HE COULD SOLVE RUSSIA-UKRAINE CONFLICT IN 24 HOURS
U.S. President Donald Trump, left, shakes fingers with Viktor Orban, Hungary’s prime minister, on the West Wing of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Monday, May 13, 2019. (Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg through Getty Images)
“We understand the position of President Trump, who would like to bring peace into our region. And we wish that an American administration brings peace into the region, because we have to be realistic that, without the United States, there will be no peace in the region,” Szijjarto stated. “And as far as we listen to President Trump, this is really encouraging, and we cross fingers for him, for our own interests, because we have a track record already with him. We know how the relationship was under his term, and the fact that he would like to make peace . . . that serves our national interests as well.”
Szijjarto careworn that “we are not Americans, so it doesn’t matter what we think about domestic politics, and we would never interfere in domestic politics either.”
“But of course, we have an experience, and we have a hope. We have an experience about how we work together, and we have a hope for the president of the United States to make peace in our neighborhood. And President Trump is the one.”
