Sen. Jim Risch (Idaho), the top-ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, says he will hold up a $735 million arms sale to Hungary until it drops its opposition to Sweden joining NATO, of which Hungary is a member.
“For some time now, I have directly expressed my concerns to the Hungarian government regarding its refusal to move forward a vote for Sweden to join NATO,” Risch said in a statement.
“Given promises that were made to me and others last year that this vote would be done, and the fact that it is now June and still not done, I decided that the sale of new U.S. military equipment to Hungary will be on hold. Hungary should take the actions necessary to allow Sweden into the alliance, and soon,” Risch said.
Risch’s hold will delay the sale of 24 HIMARS rocket launchers and more than 100 rockets.
The Washington Post first reported Risch’s move to block the arms sale.
Hungary has blocked Sweden’s accession to NATO because of grievances over Sweden’s criticisms of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
President Biden and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met Tuesday at the White House and hope to announce Sweden’s membership into NATO at the alliance’s summit in Lithuania this summer.
Finland and Sweden applied for membership in NATO last year in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and Finland joined the group in April.
Turkey initially opposed Sweden’s accession to NATO because of concerns about how Sweden viewed its national security priorities. Turkey has accused Sweden of not taking a harder-line stance against Kurdish militant groups.