Hungary's parliament could ratify Finland and Sweden's NATO membership early next month, BTA reported, citing local media citing a preliminary program for next week's parliamentary session.

Finland and Sweden applied to become NATO members after Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year and said they wanted to join together, but while most countries have given the go-ahead, Turkey and Hungary have yet to ratify their accession documents .

German Foreign Minister Analena Berbock last week called on both countries to allow Sweden and Finland to join the military alliance and clarified that she expected all NATO member states to ratify the two countries "without further delay."

Orban accused the EU of prolonging the war in Ukraine

News website hvg.hu said Hungarian lawmakers could begin debating the issue on March 1 and possibly vote on ratification a week later.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in November that his nationalist government had already decided that Hungary would support the admission of Finland and Sweden to NATO.

The Hungarian government introduced the necessary legislation in July, but parliament, where Orbán's Fidesz-Hungarian Civil Union party has a two-thirds majority, has yet to submit the two bills for debate and approval.

Orbán, who is up for a fourth consecutive term in 2022, reiterated on Saturday that being a NATO member is "vital" for Hungary, but said his government would not send weapons to Ukraine or cut economic ties. relations with Moscow.

Hungary

NATO membership

Finland and Sweden