The US on Wednesday imposed sanctions on a bank based in Hungary over its ties to Russia, a move that further strains ties between Washington and Budapest.
According to Reuters, the sanctions targeted three top officials in the International Investment Bank in Budapest, two Russian nationals, and one Hungarian national. US Ambassador to Hungary David Pressman said the US had previously warned Hungary about the bank.
“Unlike other NATO allies previously engaged with this Russian entity, Hungary has dismissed the concerns of the United States government regarding the risks its continued presence poses to the alliance,” Pressman told reporters in Budapest.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has attempted to maintain good relations with Moscow and has been calling for peace talks to end the war in Ukraine and has previously delayed EU sanctions on Russia, angering officials in Brussels and Washington. Hungary also secured an exemption from the Russian oil ban since it’s a land-locked country and is reliant on pipeline infrastructure.
“We have concerns, about the continued eagerness of Hungarian leaders to expand and deepen ties with the Russian Federation,” Pressman said. Orban’s government has also come under more general criticism from the US and EU since he won reelection last spring.
The sanctions came after a top-secret CIA document that surfaced on the internet as part of a trove of leaks revealed that the US was likely spying on Orban. The document said in a February meeting with his aides, Orban named the US as one of his Fidesz Party’s top three adversaries.
There are some days, I like my country, less and less… I would hate to see us become bigger a-holes than we already are. How is anyone in the world suppose to trust us, when we punish other countries for doing things WE don’t like???????……
I love you, Donna, but I don’t think we can “become bigger a-holes than we already are.” That’s not our problem. The problem is in our civilians and military. Both are mostly trigger happy narcissists with a superiority complex but also armed with nuclear weapons. …Sorry. I was trying to make you feel better but just realized I probably made you feel worse. (Sarcasm alert)
The “trigger happy narcissists” do not have to deal with the horrors of war. Just bark and clink champagne glasses, get money stuffed in their coat pockets.
Exactly! I didn’t go as far because I was trying to keep it light and not appear too critical. LOL
Ozzy Osborne of ‘Black Sabbath’ fame may be out there, but he had it right with the 70’s song ‘War Pigs’.
They don’t for the most part. Unfortunately, just like in the U.S., the leaders are Globalist puppets.
It is very surprising that right-wing types like the Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban are advocating peace while progressive democrats are war mongers pushing ww3.
Yes, there are right wing US politicians like Senator Manchin who refer to the US war in Ukraine as Mr. Putin’s war and call for the defeat if “Mr Putin,” but they are cowards who cannot see out if the propaganda bubble that reduces and encapsulates the US instigated Eurasian war against Russia, China, and Iran to one man’s name.
It’s a strange world when progressive democrats are the war mongers.
“It’s a strange world when progressive democrats are the war mongers.” Not anymore, my friend. It stopped being “strange” to me while Obama was President and showed his unquestionable monstrous warmongering side. Remember Obama, the constitutional law scholar? (Sarcasm alert)
Go back further to Woodrow Wilson.
Absolutely, VLP. 100%
I have no college degree but I believe I could hold my own against the fraud Constitutional lawyer.
The one who studied the US Constitution like a butcher studies a side of beef?
Not so strange since there really is no such thing as a “progressive” democrat.
Substitute Fascist which is its cousin.
Those old time “progressives” just loved how “the trains ran on time” once again in Italy among other wonderful things that it was doing at the time.
The manajorial class once again believes they know best; we need to shut up, pay for their wars to make global commerce safe for their corporations and we better like it …;-)
Could it be the term is “populist” and not the pejorative “right-wing”? That more describes the country club warmonger Bush and Cheney’s of the past
Then you know Manchin showed up in Ukraine (along with the entertainer, Brad Paisly) to offer support to the war profits skimmer, Zenlenski. Perhaps to make a deal with Z to purchase their coal mines??? Or did Blackrock beat him to it?
Trying to put the interest of his people first? It’s time to teach Viktor Orban a final lesson on “freedom and democracy.” Get me the “National Endowment for Democracy” on the phone… Now! (Sarcasm alert)
Hungarian PM Orban has been calling for peace talks to end the war in Ukraine and has previously delayed EU sanctions on Russia
i bet hungary could use any and all imports it can get from russia, so why would they ever drive down the uncle sam road-to-ruin.
Hungary also secured an exemption from the Russian oil ban since it’s a land-locked country and is reliant on pipeline infrastructure
uncle sam expects hungary to shoot theirself in the foot by sanctioning russia.
would uncle sam step-up to the plate and supply all of hungary’s oil needs?
certainly uncle sam is supplying all of somebody’s oil needs as the US exports more oil every day than it imports – always has, always will.
——
the world is a board game and most of us do not pass go and do not collect our $200.
Add Risk. (I never win, but I have fun putting my resources in Greenland).
That will just push them more towards Russia and currencies that are competing with the dollar.
It’s not as if they are going to shut that bank down and beg for forgiveness.
So, the US Treasury is applying secondary sanctions against an ally and a member of both the EU and NATO. If the acts of war against Germany (destroying Nord Stream) failed to convince Europeans that the US poses a larger threat to EU security than Russia, perhaps this will.
Nah.
But do I wonder what the White House will be cooking up to punish France for defying US policy towards China.
NATO countries and allies are in a deep sleep.
The white house will have to do something
Yawn, Sanction Nation doing what it does best, besides causing havoc around the world.