Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Saturday, May 31, 2025

US sanctions Hungary-based bank with Russian ties

US sanctions Hungary-based bank with Russian ties

The unusual penalties against a NATO and EU ally mark a new low point in Budapest’s relationship with Washington.

The United States on Wednesday imposed sanctions on a Hungary-based bank linked to Russia, marking a new low point in Hungary’s relationship with Washington.

The U.S. Treasury Department announced the penalties, which will target the International Investment Bank (IIB), a controversial institution located in Budapest with ties to the Russian state. The bank’s presence in Hungary has drawn the ire of Western officials, who fear it could be used for Russian intelligence operations inside Europe.

Speaking to reporters in Budapest on Wednesday afternoon, U.S. Ambassador to Hungary David Pressman said Washington had repeatedly shared information with Hungarian counterparts about how Russia could use the bank to expand its influence — to no avail.

“Unlike other NATO allies previously engaged with this Russian entity,” the ambassador said, “Hungary has dismissed the concerns of the United States government regarding the risks its continued presence poses to the alliance.”

The IIB was originally created in 1970 to foster trade within the Soviet bloc and moved its headquarters from Moscow to Budapest in 2019 despite worries from Hungary’s allies.

“We have concerns,” Pressman said, “about the continued eagerness of Hungarian leaders to expand and deepen ties with the Russian Federation.”

In addition to the broader IIB sanctions, the U.S. will also penalize three individuals affiliated with the bank’s leadership — former board chair Nikolay Kosov, a Russian citizen, and two current senior management officials, Imre Laszlóczki, a Hungarian, and Georgy Potapov, a Russian.

While Hungary is a member of both NATO and the EU, U.S. officials have expressed growing concern over the past decade about Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s moves to centralize power at home and build closer ties abroad with Moscow and Beijing.

But the relationship has deteriorated significantly since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Figures close to Orbán have promoted Russian-style anti-American narratives at home, prompting outrage among Western partners.

Unlike most of its NATO allies, Budapest has maintained a relationship with the Kremlin, with Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó even traveling to Moscow for talks earlier this week on gas shipments, oil transit fees and an ongoing nuclear power plant project. An ongoing campaign in Hungary’s government-controlled press targeting Pressman, the U.S. ambassador, has further strained relations.

And Hungary, together with Turkey, is still blocking Sweden’s NATO bid — a decision that has irritated and confused many allies.

Sweden's parliament voted in favor of joining NATO despite delays by Hungary and Turkey to ratify its membership bid


Pressman insisted the U.S. did not want its ties with Hungary to rupture.

"We're invested in this relationship, because we care about Hungary," he said.

Yet with IIB, the U.S. government said Hungary is essentially allowing Russia to extend its arm into Europe.

“The IIB’s presence in Budapest enables Russia to increase its intelligence presence in Europe, opens the door for the Kremlin’s malign influence activities in Central Europe and the Western Balkans, and could serve as a mechanism for corruption and illicit finance, including sanctions violations,” the Treasury Department said in a statement.

Even after Moscow launched its war in Ukraine, the department added, IIB executives “have coordinated with Russian Federation officials on IIB business."

This is not the first time the U.S. has sanctioned figures linked to Orbán, as allegations of widespread, high-level corruption in Hungary have long worried Washington. In 2014, America banned several Hungarian citizens from entering the U.S., including the then-head of the country’s tax authority.

Washington has also previously sanctioned individuals in Bulgaria, another NATO ally and EU member. In 2021, the U.S. targeted a slew of high-profile Bulgarian power brokers and entities under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, which targets perpetrators of corruption and human rights abuses around the globe.

The U.S. then followed up with further sanctions against Bulgarian elites earlier this year.

Comments

Oh ya 2 year ago
And this is why the world is dumping the USA and the world reserve currency. The US has turned the dollar into a weapon against countries that make them mad

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
Head of Gaza Aid Group Resigns Amid Humanitarian Concerns
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Denmark Increases Retirement Age to 70, Setting a European Precedent
Iranian Director Jafar Panahi Wins Palme d'Or at Cannes
Israeli Airstrike Kills Nine Children of Gaza Doctor
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki Erupts Again, Spewing Ash Cloud over Flores Island
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
Michael Jordan to Serve as Analyst for NBA Games
Senate Democrats Move to Censure Trump Over Qatar Jet Gift
Hamas Releases Last Living US Hostage from Gaza Amid Ongoing Conflict
×