The foreign minister said Joe Biden should address corruption allegations in connection with Ukraine before resuming dealings with Hungary.
Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, noted that the Democratic US election candidate had worked on central European issues for eight years during Barack Obama’s presidency and the US had “attacked constantly and lectured” central Europe while also attacking Hungary when it adopted its new constitution.
The minister noted that US embassy leaders had taken part in anti-government protests in Budapest. Biden, he said, had been preoccupied with Ukraine and his visits coincided with his son’s term on the board of directors of a Ukrainian energy company. This period, he added, was marked by endemic corruption in the Ukrainian energy sector.
Minister Szijjártó said Biden should make clear how he had used his political influence to bring about profits for the energy company and his son. He should declare, he added, what pressure he put on the Ukrainian government to dismiss the Ukrainian Attorney General.
The minister slammed Biden for recently making “totally unjust and unworthy” accusations against Hungary and Poland at a campaign event.
Photo credit: Portfolio