Hungary's Loyalties and Relations Tested Amid Sanctions and Balancing Act

Hungary's loyalty to the West is being tested as Russia's war in Ukraine continues. The US has imposed sanctions on the Budapest-based International Investment Bank and three of its directors, marking a new low in relations between Hungary and its Western partners. Hungary's ongoing refusal to ratify Sweden's membership of NATO is seen as the trigger. Reports suggest that the announced measures are a shot across Budapest's bows, intended to deter the European Union and NATO country to pivot away from Russia and China.