WARSAW: Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Monday criticised Hungary's "unacceptable" delay in ratifying Sweden's Nato accession amid the nearly three-year-old attack of Ukraine.
Hungary's ratification is the last obstacle to the Nordic country's membership which Stockholm sought after the Ukraine conflict began.
"It's unacceptable, not only from my point of view, that one country can block the other one, especially in the context of the war with Russia in Ukraine," Tusk told reporters as he hosted his Swedish counterpart Ulf Kristersson in Warsaw.
Although it supports Stockholm in principle, Budapest prolonged the process by asking Sweden to stop "vilifying" the Hungarian government, which is accused by critics of being authoritarian.
However on Saturday, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said he and the Swedish premier had "taken important steps in order to rebuild trust".
"The good news is that our current dispute with Sweden is moving towards a conclusion," Orban said in his state-of-the-nation address.
"We are on course to ratify Sweden's accession to Nato at the beginning of parliament's spring session," he added.
Orban also said the "dispute with Sweden is moving towards a conclusion" and that Hungary was "on course" to ratify the bid..
Asked about the remarks, Kristersson said Monday that Orban was better suited to answer that question.
"I don't know specifically what he meant by that... I simply think there is a strong will to finalise this process of Nato accession," Kristersson said.
Swedish authorities have repeatedly refused to hold talks with Hungary on the ratification despite Orban inviting his Swedish counterpart to "negotiate" Nato accession.
On Wednesday, Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said his country hoped that Hungary will soon ratify its accession to Nato, removing the last obstacle to its membership.
"There is nothing to negotiate, if there is a visit, it's not going to be a negotiation, that has been made very clear by my prime minister," the Swedish minister said earlier this week.
Although it supports Stockholm in principle, Budapest prolonged the process by asking Sweden to stop "vilifying" the Hungarian government, which is accused of taking an authoritarian turn.
After Russia's invasion of Ukraine, sweden announced its application to join Nato in May 2022, at the same time as Finland.
Finland became the organisation's 31st member in April 2023 after all Nato members ratified its bid. — AFP
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