The Budapest Times The attendees included the First Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Hungary Márta Mátrai; Deputy Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Tibor Ibolya; Deputy State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade Stifter Adam; President of the Hungary-Vietnam Friendship Association Botz László; along with numerous senior officials representatives of ministries and agencies Hungarian friends and the Vietnamese community in Hungary This occasion not only revisited the proud historical journey of bilateral relations affirming the strong and traditional friendship between the two nations but also instilled pride in the Vietnamese community in Hungary for their homeland’s cause of national construction and defence It further recalled the heroic and arduous struggle of the Vietnamese people culminating in the great Spring Victory of 1975 which completely liberated the South and reunified the country ushering Vietnam into a new era of independence prosperity and elevated international standing Ambassador Bui Le Thai emphasised that the 75-year diplomatic relationship has been a proud journey He expressed deep gratitude for the valuable support extended by the Government and people of Hungary during Vietnam’s struggle for independence and reunification as well as in its current process of renovation and development despite geographical distance and ongoing global changes Government and people of Vietnam always value and wish to further develop the traditional friendship and comprehensive partnership between the two countries Looking back on half a century since the liberation and reunification of the country Ambassador Bui Le Thai said it was not only a great victory of the Vietnamese nation but also a shining symbol of revolutionary heroism international solidarity and the truth that “Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom… Today a period of national revival marked by confidence self-reliance and national pride,” he emphasised The Ambassador said Vietnam and Hungary will continue to write new chapters in their traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation with 75 years of history in friendly cooperation a solid foundation of strong bilateral relations high political trust between the two countries’ leaderships mutual understanding between the two peoples On behalf of the Government and National Assembly of Hungary First Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Mrs Márta Mátrai conveyed the warm congratulations of Mr Speaker of the Hungarian National Assembly and of the entire Parliament and Government of Hungary to the people of Vietnam on the double milestone being celebrated She congratulated Vietnam on its achievements since 1975 and expressed pride that Hungary had contributed to its struggle for national liberation particularly through Hungary’s participation in the International Commission of Control and Supervision (ICCS) from 1973 to 1975 Mátrai highly appreciated the traditional multifaceted cooperation between the two countries especially parliamentary cooperation — one of the key pillars of the bilateral relationship — through high-level visits and legislative experience-sharing dialogues She announced that Speaker Kövér has accepted an invitation to visit Vietnam She recognised the valuable contributions of the Vietnamese community in Hungary to the country’s development and affirmed the Government and Parliament of Hungary will continue to create favourable conditions for their successful integration Ambassador Bui Le Thai presented a special commemorative publication jointly produced by the Embassy of Vietnam in Hungary and Eurasia magazine to mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations the celebration featured rich cultural experiences The guests enjoyed traditional Vietnamese musical performances including a photo display and film screenings recounting the 75-year history of bilateral friendship and Vietnam’s 50 years of national development The celebration left a profound impression on all attendees hopefully inspiring both nations to continue jointly writing new chapters in their joint history You must be logged in to post a comment PRIVACY POLICY TERMS OF USE 2007 - 2025 BZT MEDIA Kft. 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You will receive mail with link to set new password Back to login the world’s best judoka will gather in Budapest to compete for glory Taking place at the state-of-the-art Papp László Budapest Sportaréna the championships will offer an unforgettable experience for fans whether you are a lifelong follower of judo or new to the sport Budapest is no stranger to hosting major sporting events and it never fails to impress the city provides the perfect backdrop for this global event Make the most of your visit by exploring historic landmarks enjoying delicious Hungarian cuisine and experiencing the city’s famous hospitality Tickets for the World Judo Championships Budapest 2025 are available now Choose from a range of ticket options to suit every fan from single-day passes to full championship packages Buy Your Ticket Now via the Following Link: https://www.eventim.hu/hu/jegyek/world-judo-championships-hungary-2025-budapest-papp-laszlo-sportarena-671076/event.html?co=hun&cm=3 said Hungary will not participate in the future operations of the International Criminal Court a body “which has been degraded into a political tool and has lost its prestige.” In his introduction to a bill on terminating Hungary’s ICC membership Minister Szijjártó told MPs on Tuesday that Hungary signed the ICC’s Rome Statue in 1999 and while the Hungarian parliament confirmed the document in 2001 terminating the country’s membership must be approved by parliament a written notification will be sent to the Secretary-General of the United Nations The decision to quit will become effective a year later Hungary in general opposes “politicising the operation of international organisations” adding that the practice “has been seen on a number of occasions…” “It is clear that if there is a conflict between nations or countries everybody tries to politicise international organisations so that they can be used for their own political purposes,” Minister Szijjártó said International organisations are never set up for some political purpose but to provide appropriate international platforms and opportunities for dialogue in a given area even to parties engaged in a conflict,” the minister said were set up to ensure dialogue between adversaries In international legal organisations or courts “there is no room for politics or geopolitical considerations” adding that “serious concerns have been raised recently in connection with the ICC being impartial and free from politics” and it has become clear that the ICC has been degraded into a political tool,” Minister Szijjártó said slamming the body for issuing an international warrant against the head of state and the former defence minister of Israel “When the ICC realised that they had overshot the mark with that move but made a mistake again when they issued a warrant for a Hamas leader who was already dead,” Minister Szijjártó said “Hungary does not wish to be part of the ICC’s politically motivated actions in future,” the minister said You must be logged in to post a comment “Ukraine’s EU membership would bankrupt the Hungarian economy,” the prime minister declared we are heading into a collective economic trap.” He warned that the EU’s plan to accept Ukraine by 2030—an objective recently confirmed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the European People’s Party—poses significant risks He dismissed claims that conditions for accession are still undecided arguing instead that the process is already underway “Forget the fairy tales about when and how The prime minister linked the EU’s economic stagnation directly to the war in Ukraine and the financial support being funneled out of Europe “These unfortunate European leaders have already sent €140 billion to Ukraine If that money were in the European economy there would be growth instead of stagnation,” he stated the loss has been enormous: “In three years Hungary has lost €20 billion because of the war,” PM Orbán said the government has chosen to push forward with what the prime minister called “Europe’s largest tax cut program.” This includes lifetime income tax exemptions for mothers with two or more children under the age of 40 as well as the continued roll-out of support schemes for small and medium-sized businesses “We’re expanding the program from 100 to 150 new factories and the Sándor Demján program alone will distribute HUF 1.4 trillion PM Orbán made it clear that the government would not allow Hungary to be saddled with shared EU debt in order to finance Ukraine’s integration “The Brussels elite want to take out massive loans together our children and grandchildren will inherit a mountain of debt He warned that the majority of EU funds sent to Ukraine would benefit Western corporations already invested there “Just like what happened to us when we joined Most of the money went back to the countries it came from,” he explained we make sure that EU funds strengthen the Hungarian-Hungarian economy PM Orbán criticized the Tisza Party and MEP Kinga Kollár saying that they are actively working to block Hungary’s access to EU funds Kollár said they are the reason we’ve only recovered half the funds we are entitled to She openly stated they want to stop hospital renovations That’s why I signed the National Resistance Movement’s petition,” he said “The money we’re owed isn’t a gift—it’s ours We allow Western firms to make serious profits here the prime minister described a moment from an EU Council meeting where President Zelensky personally requested full EU funding for Ukraine’s one-million-strong army And they think this is their right,” Orbán recounted PM Orbán emphasized the importance of the ongoing “Voks 2025” public consultation “The most important thing in the Ukraine matter is to remain firm and not to abandon our own goals the prime minister expressed confidence that Hungary would navigate these challenges war-opposing 2026 budget that stands on its own two feet and focused on national interest—not on Brussels’ ambitions or war-driven agendas You must be logged in to post a comment Berlin-based credit rating agency Scope Ratings has reaffirmed Hungary’s long-term credit rating at ‘BBB’ and upheld its stable outlook Hungary continues to be considered an investment-grade country aligning with the assessments of other major credit rating agencies the Ministry for National Economy (NGM) announced on Saturday the ministry highlighted that Scope Ratings positively evaluated Hungary’s investments aimed at boosting competitiveness and acknowledged the country’s resilience in the face of external economic shocks Hungary exhibits strong economic momentum and favourable medium-term growth prospects Scope expects the country’s fiscal deficit and public debt levels to decline over the coming years The agency also pointed to the healthy structure of Hungary’s national debt and its reduced vulnerability to external shocks thanks to a high proportion of domestic financing and major capacity-expanding investments are seen as supportive of future economic performance The ministry emphasized that Hungary’s financing conditions remain stable and secure The government remains committed to strict fiscal discipline which plays a key role in curbing both the deficit and national debt next year’s budget is designed to be balanced in its primary position—excluding interest payments on debt Officials also underlined that Hungary’s economy stands on solid foundations and remains an attractive destination for international investors Internal economic indicators continue to show positive trends: real wages have been rising for over 18 months tourism is on track for another record year employment levels remain high with 4.7 million people working The automotive and housing markets are also showing signs of revival with increased transactions and consumer lending on the rise In parallel with fiscal and economic measures the government is pressing ahead with efforts to strengthen industry and support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) As part of the New Economic Policy Action Plan the Demján Sándor Programme has allocated 1,400 billion forints to improve SME productivity the government has expanded its 100 New Factories initiative to now target the establishment of 150 new industrial plants Hungarian Conservative is a quarterly magazine on contemporary political philosophical and cultural issues from a conservative perspective By Evan RailMarch 27 36 Hours Budapest Jump to: Recommendations Itinerary Google Map By Evan Rail Photographs by Akos Stiller A longtime contributor to the Travel section Evan Rail is the author of "The Absinthe Forger." He lives in Prague ​​​​​​​​From its modest Celtic and Roman origins Budapest has grown into a beautiful Old World metropolis thanks to its enviable location on the Danube River and a dynamic local population The extremely walkable Hungarian capital is a vibrant progressive and relatively diverse island in an otherwise rightward-tilting country making it a popular destination for gourmets many of whom come here to sample — or help build — one of the best restaurant scenes in Central Europe galleries and spruced-up parks counterbalance the city’s classic (and sometimes beautifully decrepit) architecture artfully blending its two halves: reserved though most visitors come to learn about Capa a celebrated co-founder of Magnum Photos and committed anti-fascist thanks to the permanent exhibit that opened here in 2023 (entry gather your thoughts at the laid-back museum cafe Glazed venison steak at Strand 25 If you’re intimidated by the eight-course, 89,500-forint tasting menu at what is arguably the city’s highest-profile fine dining restaurant, Stand, try Stand 25 a less-expensive and less-formal bistro from the same celebrity chefs Despite the bistro’s slightly lower profile Classics like rich and slightly smoky goulash glazed venison steak and Brasov-style pork all pair perfectly with a wildly aromatic while Hungarian wine fans will appreciate the list of mostly domestic bottles which include the beloved trifle known as somlói sour-sweet apricot sauce and cinnamon-scented foam After admiring the architecture on your evening stroll head inside to find a cozy table or a spot at the bar order an alcohol-free cocktail like the Twirl (4,400 forints) or a bourbon-based Shadow (7,900 forints) and take in an atmosphere that feels like you slipped into a classic James Bond movie From its modest Celtic and Roman origins 40-minute journey on public transportation to arrive at Aquincum when it opens The 130-year-old museum displays Roman-era glassware pottery and weapons uncovered in and around the area The sprawling site includes remnants of streets a temple dedicated to the Roman god Mithras a three-year-old boutique and cafe where you can try on old-school Hungarian military dress jackets (12,000 forints) and cycling jerseys (8,000 forints) before plopping on the couch with an Aperol spritz (2,800 forints) it might work as an after-hours option: fashion shows sets and other occasional special events sometimes kick off around 9:30 p.m. 19th-century spa complex that perfectly illustrates the logic behind a basic rule of travel: Always pack a swimsuit a small art gallery down the block that closes at 6 or read a few more chapters on a bench at the charmingly rundown neighborhood park Though it’s just a block from St. Stephen’s Basilica, a soaring Pest landmark, the self-described “fire-hearted kitchen” Goli feels like a busy market restaurant in Tel Aviv where the chef Harel Zakaim worked previously like smoked cauliflower and roasted oyster mushrooms play main roles and the outrageously delicious za’atar-topped vegan labneh is made from soy but meat-eaters will also find plenty to love from aged beef entrecôte to lemon-chicken shawarma and lamb with grapes almost all prepared over open flames and served for sharing In the year and a half or so since Goli opened it has become extremely popular; making reservations is highly recommended 9:30 a.m. Sample coffeehouse history The old coffeehouse culture of the Austro-Hungarian Empire is mostly long gone, but you can occasionally catch a glimpse. After a lengthy closure during the pandemic, the former Centrál Café from 1887 re-opened in 2022 with a brightened interior, a fresh menu and an updated name: Centrál Grand Café & Bar An important location for writers and artists in the late 19th and early 20th centuries the 138-year-old destination today plays up its intellectual and artistic history with literary gatherings buttercream-layered delicacy (2,590 forints) and a hot chocolate (2,190 forints) and imagine yourself stepping into what the great Austrian writer Stefan Zweig once called “the world of yesterday.” 11 a.m. Step into a center of Jewish culture Catch a glimpse of Pest’s rich Jewish history with a tour of the Dohány Street Synagogue originally completed in 1859 as a masterpiece of Moorish Revival architecture (entry Also known as the Great Synagogue and said to be the largest in Europe the building has room for some 3,000 worshippers and contains a number of unusual features including a massive pipe organ that is technically located outside the synagogue walls The English-language tour lasts about 45 minutes covering the history of the building and the local Jewish community integration-minded society that originally inspired Neolog Judaism with windows that overlook the grave markers in the courtyard where more than 2,000 victims of fascism were buried Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Tuesday World Subscribers only In Zurich the leaf blower war or the anti-'woke' backlash World Subscribers only Germany's Friedrich Merz is embracing pragmatism World Subscribers only Trump-Carney meeting: Canada seeks reconciliation World Subscribers only Friedrich Merz bets on two private sector converts to revive the German economy and reform the state World Subscribers only Founder of Sant'Egidio community fears next pope could undo Francis's legacy Opinion Subscribers only 'Russian gas and Europe is an old story that ended badly Economy Subscribers only Europe's steel industry flattened by crisis 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flag during a 'Gray Pride Demo' march on April 12 to ridicule Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's clampdown on LGBTQ rights and diversity ATTILA KISBENEDEK / AFP Thousands of Hungarian protesters wearing drab clothes and brandishing satirical placards turned the streets of Budapest into a sea of gray on Saturday poking fun at Prime Minister Viktor Orban's recent clampdown on LGBTQ rights and diversity "Sameness is trendy" and "Censorship" read some of the ironic signs held up by protesters who took aim at Orban's nationalist policies Saturday's rally was called by the small parodic Two-tailed Dog Party (MKKP) in response to a recently adopted bill which aims to ban the annual Pride parade on the basis that it infringes on Hungary's much-criticized "child protection" law The legislation – which was fast-tracked through parliament – also enables authorities to fine those who attend or organise such an event and use facial recognition tools to identify potential offenders including rainbow flags turned monochromatic that called for a "Gray Pride," more than 10,000 people joined the humourous demonstration with a serious cause in Budapest dressed in gray – a perfect display of what sameness looks like," engineer Kata Bicskei We don't want everyone to be the same." Another protester said that "humor exposes the absurd," adding that the rally made light of recent developments and was a "way to respond to a regime that takes itself too seriously." satirical 'Two-tailed Dog Party' wear gray clothes as they attend a 'Gray Pride Demo' march on April 12 ATTILA KISBENEDEK / AFP Since Orban's return to power in 2010 which have been slammed at home and across the EU for curtailing the rights of the country's sexual and gender minorities The latest measures have already sparked protests in Hungary with thousands of people blocking bridges in the capital every Tuesday Pride organizers have said they still plan to go ahead with this year's march on June 28 About a dozen EU lawmakers have said they will attend it Lecture du Monde en cours sur un autre appareil Vous pouvez lire Le Monde sur un seul appareil à la fois Ce message s’affichera sur l’autre appareil Parce qu’une autre personne (ou vous) est en train de lire Le Monde avec ce compte sur un autre appareil Vous ne pouvez lire Le Monde que sur un seul appareil à la fois (ordinateur En cliquant sur « Continuer à lire ici » et en vous assurant que vous êtes la seule personne à consulter Le Monde avec ce compte Que se passera-t-il si vous continuez à lire ici Ce dernier restera connecté avec ce compte Vous pouvez vous connecter avec votre compte sur autant d’appareils que vous le souhaitez mais en les utilisant à des moments différents Nous vous conseillons de modifier votre mot de passe Votre abonnement n’autorise pas la lecture de cet article merci de contacter notre service commercial hails Viktor Orbán’s ‘bold and principled’ decision to leave the ‘corrupt’ body Hungary will leave the international criminal court because it has become “political”, the country’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán said as he welcomed his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanhayu – the subject of an ICC arrest warrant – to Budapest for an official visit Standing beside Netanyahu at the start of the four-day visit, Orbàn said Hungary was convinced the “otherwise very important court” had “diminished into a political forum” Netanyahu hailed “a bold and principled” decision. “I thank you, Viktor … It’s important for all democracies,” the Israeli prime minister said. “It’s important to stand up to this corrupt organisation.” Netanyahu has been under an international arrest warrant since November over allegations of war crimes in Gaza He also said he believed Israel and Hungary both of which are led by rightwing nationalist governments were “fighting a similar battle for the future of our common civilisation announced shortly after Netanyahu landed at Budapest airport that the government would “initiate the withdrawal procedure on Thursday in accordance with the constitutional and international legal framework” would entail first passing a bill through parliament then formally notifying the UN secretary general’s office Withdrawal would come into effect one year later welcomed what he termed an “important decision” adding that the “so-called international criminal court” had “lost its moral authority after trampling the fundamental principles of international law in its zest for harming Israel’s right to self-defence” told reporters on the sidelines of a Nato meeting in Brussels that as long as Hungary remained officially a member of the ICC it should “fulfil all its obligations to the court” The ICC’s governing body voiced concern over Hungary’s decision saying any departure “clouds our shared quest for justice and weakens our resolve to fight impunity” It said the court was “at the centre of the global commitment to accountability” and the international community should “support it without reservation” Netanyahu was welcomed in Budapest in an official ceremony standing alongside Orbán as a military band played and cavalry carrying swords and bayonets passed by He is expected to tour Budapest’s Holocaust Museum and hold a number of political meetings before leaving on Sunday Orbán invited his Israeli counterpart to visit in November, the day after the ICC, which is based in the Hague and is the world’s only permanent global tribunal for war crimes and genocide, issued the warrant The ICC’s move was described by Israel as politically motivated and fuelled by antisemitism Netanyahu’s government has repeatedly said the court has lost its legitimacy by issuing a warrant against a democratically elected leader exercising his country’s right to self-defence after the October 2023 attack by Hamas-led fighters on southern Israel View image in fullscreenViktor Orbán and Benjamin Netanyahu on the red carpet during a welcoming ceremony at the Lion’s Courtyard in Budapest Photograph: Bernadett Szabó/ReutersLiz Evenson the international justice director at Human Rights Watch said Hungary’s withdrawal would “demonstrate how far Orbán’s government is willing to go to diminish protection of human rights globally and respect for the rule of law for people including in Hungary” The country’s ICC obligations “remain intact” should be required to detain and extradite anyone subject to a warrant from the court so ICC measures cannot legally be carried out within Hungary Many legal experts say that as a signatory and ratified state party Hungary is nonetheless obliged to uphold the ICC’s Rome statute has said he would not respect the court’s Israel ruling which he has previously described as “brazen The Hungarian prime minister has strongly supported Netanyahu for many years embracing him as an ally who shares the same conservative Hungary has frequently blocked EU statements or sanctions against Israel The visit marks Netanyahu’s second trip abroad since ICC warrants were announced against him and his former defence chief Yoav Gallant, as well as for the Hamas leader Mohammed Deif. In February, he travelled to the US Russia and China – is not a member of the ICC the visit is a chance to show – at a time of mounting criticism of his leadership and a lengthening list of domestic scandals – that despite widespread international opposition to Israel’s conduct of the war he remains a leader on the world stage it is another act of attention-grabbing defiance ICC judges said when they issued the warrant that there were reasonable grounds to believe Netanyahu and Gallant were criminally responsible for acts including murder persecution and starvation as a weapon of war EU members are divided over whether to enforce the warrants suggesting they could find a way for Netanyahu to visit without being arrested France has said Netanyahu should be immune from the warrant since Israel is not an ICC member aims to pursue people responsible for grave crimes when countries cannot or will not do so themselves It has opened more than 30 cases for alleged war crimes genocide and offences against the administration of justice but is hampered by a lack of recognition and enforcement Only Burundi and the Philippines have so far left the ICC Elected leaders from across Europe should join us on the streets This is a purge disguised as law – another step in Orbán’s dismantling of democracy, where the constitution is degraded to a propaganda instrument. He calls it a “spring clean-up” to root out “bugs” Increasingly troubled at home, Orbán is looking abroad. In February he declared that the political climate in the west had become more favourable The implication was clear: with Donald Trump back in power the EU distracted and global authoritarianism on the rise there are even fewer consequences facing a leader who wants to dismantle democracy Organisers and participants have been threatened with facial recognition surveillance and fines of 200,000 Hungarian forints (£420) Budapest Pride is no longer just a march It is a rupture with the most basic rights enshrined in Article 2 of the EU treaties: freedom of assembly It tells every member state that fundamental rights are optional – that governments can outlaw protest and strip people of EU citizenship without consequence The European Commission and council remain hesitant, divided and timid. This is not just a moral failure – it is a strategic one. The EU may be the last functioning democratic project of global scale. And it is being tested. As democratic backsliding accelerates worldwide, Europe faces a simple question: can it defend its own values A European Commission that takes its role seriously would act immediately It has the legal tools – what’s missing is the political courage Brussels is reportedly considering legal action “if necessary” but it has yet to take interim steps to protect this year’s march Its usual excuse – the need to avoid “political interference” – is no longer viable Orbán is the one breaking the law – the one wiping his feet on the EU treaties immediate way to show solidarity: elected leaders from across Europe should publicly announce that they are joining us at Budapest Pride We are immensely proud to already have pledges from members of the European parliament Their presence is not symbolic – it is protective They help guarantee that the march can take place in safety When government power is being used to intimidate and suppress a visible international presence can deter harassment and police overreach This is not optics – it’s a line of defence This is not a political dispute between equals and the other asking Europe to uphold its own laws Brussels’ engagement would not be a partisan act; it would be a defence of the very values it was created to protect we will wake up to find the authoritarian turn complete standing with those who will not be silenced Let us show together that the streets of a European capital will not surrender to fear Katalin Cseh is a member of the Hungarian national assembly for the Momentum Movement and a former MEP a statue of the Carlo Pedersoli—also known as Bud Spencer—stands proudly and majestically The former professional swimmer and water polo player became world-famous as an actor playing the tough-but-good guy in action-comedy movies from the 1960s through the 1980s Bud Spencer gained great popularity among Hungarians, providing heart-warming memories and good laughs to young and old. Generations grew up on his movies, which are played frequently on various TV channels to this day. As a sign of nationwide respect, this 2.4-meter tall, 500-kilogram heavy, bronze statue was raised in Budapest The statue can be found next to the Corvin Plaza surrounded by the nicest bars and restaurants in the city The statue was offered to the city by sculptor Szandra Tasnádi The Pedersoli family attended the emotional ceremony On the basis of the statue you will find Terence Hill's quote "Mi sohasem veszekedtünk," which means Bud Spencer’s old friend and partner actor who later also visited the statue in person The statue is not the only thing that Hungarians established to pay their respects to Pedersoli there is also a public park which a political party called Two-Tailed Dog Party unofficially named "Bud Spencer Park." They also inagurated a memorial plaque commemorating the actor the only hill in this park has been also named "Terence Hill." In addition to the statue there is also a Bud Spencer mural in Budapest painted by graffiti artist TakerOne A team of concrete athletes stands in the middle of a traffic circle This downtown statue pays tribute to the Native American game that gave the city of La Crosse its name Life-size statues of characters from 'The Wizard of Oz' stand at the one of the early screening sites for the 1939 movie This sculpture is dedicated to a local therapy dog who later became the official mascot of the 126th Boston Marathon A bronze and stone statue made to recognize the life and career of a Russian aristocrat turned English rugby player This pavement line and accompanying statue commemorates the starting point for the world's oldest annual marathon A life-sized statue commemorating the former manager of Ipswich's football team A gigantic mechanical bull rages over unsuspecting passengers at Birmingham’s central station said Hungary has a vested interest in India and Pakistan making peace and settling their disputes adding that “the last thing the world needs right now is an escalating conflict between the two countries.” In a Facebook post after a phone call with his Pakistani counterpart Minister Szijjártó said Ishaq Dar had briefed him on the soured relations between India and Pakistan as well as the threats to South Asia’s security “Hungary is concerned about the global spread of terrorism so we support every initiative and effort that aims to curb it,” Minister Szijjártó said “We also support a move towards peace in the relations between India and Pakistan.” “Because the last thing we need in the current global situation is an escalating conflict between two countries with powerful militaries and weapons,” the minister added He reaffirmed Hungary’s interest in the settlement of disputes and the prevention of the escalation of tensions expressing hope that the people of India and Pakistan would be able to return to a peaceful coexistence “We also discussed future relations between Paksitan and the European Union on which I reiterated that Hungary supports giving Pakistan the broadest possible preferences in its trade with the EU,” Minister Szijjártó said You must be logged in to post a comment Budapest has long been a punching bag for invading powers and battled over by a litany of imperial bullies But the legacy is a city stacked with historic layer upon layer of intrigue and faded glory some layers still decaying while others have been ambitiously restored  I was back in the Hungarian capital with Trafalgar one of the headline stops on their splendidly curated 10-day Imperial Europe tour.  the mighty Danube bisects the distinct settlements of Buda and Pest that were only officially united as one city in 1873 Nestled amid the verdant hills and tumbling greenery of Buda the Castle District is the city’s top draw which was vividly brought to life by our local specialist guide Andrea’s engaging storytelling Much of it was obliterated in the second world war.  This UNESCO-protected treasure chest of historic properties contains churches galleries and of course the Royal Palace complex many of the floridly sculpted fountains gushed with wine The Hapsburg Empress Maria Theresa added a 200-rooms to the complex in the late 18th century The Royal Palace’s Riding Hall has been rebuilt as has the ornate interior of St Stephen’s Hall The Archduke’s palace is currently closed for refurbishment with the buildings being reconstructed using surviving architects’ drawings.  Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is overseeing the estimated NZ$3 billion dollar revitalisation of the Castle District which seeks to replicate the pomp and prestige of the area when it was at the peak of its imperial powers Andrea described it as Orban’s “edifice complex.” This mega-vanity-project is one of Europe’s largest projects of historical reconstruction with brand new baroque buildings rising up where Rococo details and white plasterwork are being liberally slathered on top of reinforced concrete like cake icing their freshly folded zinc roofs glint in the sun.  and it took 30 years to return it to the state you see it in today but the reconstruction works continue for another four years Nearby is the Castle Labyrinth which is a 10km-long network of caves which was used as a very hardy air-raid shelter during the war who is Europe’s longest-serving Prime Minister has moved his own offices into a former Carmelite monastery in Castle Hill and other ministries are being transferred goes.” He cleared Budapest of beggars.  My favourite stop was Matthias Church (also known as Virgin Mary Church) a ginger-bread stone structure dripping in history it was converted into the Great Mosque by the Ottomans three hundred years later before reverting to Christianity under the Hapsburgs A decade-long restoration of the church was triumphantly completed ten years ago What makes this church so striking is the carpet-like design that graces the columns and walls of the church Fishermen’s Bastion was constructed during the Golden Age of the late 1800’s when the Hapsburgs agreed to greater autonomy for the city and a largely decorative building boom ensued Fishermen’s Bastion features seven turrets one representing each of the original Hungarian tribes and the far-reaching views across the river to Pest are celestial Across the Danube from Fisherman's Bastion Other stellar Golden Age specimens include the most adored structure spanning the Danube is the Chain Bridge: guarded by finely carved stone lions and spectacularly spangled at night Budapest spends a fortune lustily illuminated all Danube bridges and the myriad of architectural landmarks edging the river It’s a wondrous experience to soak up the twinkling panorama at night A prestigious competition was held to determine the design of the Hungarian Parliament Inspired by Britain’s Houses of Parliament the ornately gothic designed building opened in 1903 replete with turrets and domes – and Hungary’s Crown Jewels One of the most iconic cultural shrines is the Opera House the Budapest Opera House has 7kg of gold delivering quite the bling-factor to its interior The State Opera House crowns the heart of Andrassy Ave and still the glamour strip for socialites straight boulevards were inspired by the French urban planner edged by bustling Rákóczi Avenue is another such specimen.  The past century has certainly been a turbulent and torturous period for Hungary; first as a Nazi puppet Hungary was at the forefront of world history again triggering the collapse of the Iron Curtain  You can still place your finger in the bullet holes of many buildings A sobering experience is to take in the House of Terror the communists took over the building as the base for its fearsome secret police I found myself utterly absorbed by one of the most potent and poignant war memorials I’ve ever encountered the Shoe Memorial’s simplicity is profoundly moving are scattered along the very edge of the river to represent the thousands of Hungarian Jews who were forced to remove their shoes before being brutally shot in that place Their bodies would fall into the cold water and be washed away from the city on the current as though their owners had just stepped out of them and left them there.  Roman emperor Nero was reputedly the first to bathe in the city’s natural hot springs but the proliferation of Turkish baths was bestowed on the city by the Ottomans before they were unceremoniously sent packing by the Hapsburgs (Budapest’s enduring passion for coffee and paprika can also be attributed to the Ottomans.)  My favourite spot for a therapeutic soak is at Gellert Baths The Art Nouveau designed Gellert Hotel was built during the Golden Age of the late 19th century housing a palatial complex of highly ornate thermal baths and swimming pools Gellert Hill pays homage to the city’s patron saint the Venetian missionary was invited to Buda A pagan revolt led to Bishop Gellert being placed in a spiky barrel and rolled off the hillside into the Danube His violent death led to him being canonised and the eponymously named hill now bears a glittering statue in his honour which is also a great panoramic perch.  If you want to sample some authentic Budapest tastes a vast and cavernous emporium built in 1896 teems with merchants and the food stalls sell peasant dishes like goulash soup and langos (fried flatbread with toppings) Grab a high stool and you can enjoy a spicy sausage and a beer for less than NZ$5 The magnificently colourful riot of paprika sausage and fruit stalls are a photogenic headrush A cherished institution is the Gerbeaud Pastry Shop on Vorosmarty Square and sure to charm you with its elegant old-world ambience and mouth-drooling sweet temptations it’s been billed as the most beautiful and the most beloved coffee house in Budapest the most influential newspapers were previously edited upstairs in the café’s gallery Its eclectic Italian Renaissance-style architecture all dressed in opulent furnishings is guaranteed Instagram-bait but the sheer splendour of the interior is irresistible.  Our Trafalgar tour included a Be My Guest experience which aims to offer up an authentic slice-of-life dining occasion our host was Konrad Schieszl who explained that he is the fifth generation to run the winery and restaurant  His family originally came to Budapest from Germany 300 years ago and his great-grandfather started growing grapes on the site of the winery I particularly enjoyed their merlot and cabernet sauvignon while the on-site restaurant served up an array of delightful dishes a cholesterol-free pork from a heritage breed of Hungarian pigs that has become the toast of many gourmet restaurants Streaks of fatty “marble” infiltrates their muscles producing a spider web pattern of white lines that resembles Wagyu meat Even the colour of Mangalica meat is beef-like noticeably darker than regular pork varieties curly-haired pigs look more like oversized sheep.  Konrad’s father conceived the winery’s secret recipes for curing and smoking this famous pork  As we were feasting on this guilt-free pork Konrad captivated us with the tale about his grandfather’s best friend  During World War II when Jews were being slaughtered they were concealed inside of one of his giant wine barrels When the war ended and the Soviets moved in anyone with German ties was expelled from Hungary The Schieszl family were given 24 hours to get out stripped of all their property and most of their belongings who had become a lawyer with political connections to the Prime Minister was able to make arrangements for Konrad’s grandfather to buy back his property and return to Hungary And the family business has never looked back continuing to make great use of derelict buildings Such a specimen is Taqueria which was formerly the provisioning depot for Hungarian Railways try a "pinky" (grapefruit vodka shot) or plum palinka (fruit brandy) that packs a punch at 40% alcohol and toast Budapest’s searing history.  Mike Yardley is our resident traveller and can be heard on Newstalk ZB at 11.20am on Saturday Mornings with Jack Tame.  May 2 (Xinhua) -- Hungary's largest free community event for dog lovers was held on Thursday in Budapest The following pictures show some highlights of the festival which also reflect the close bonds between humans and dogs Join Central Europe’s biggest women’s business festival and explore the power of freedom On 3 April, Forbes Power Women’s Summit will bring you three talks in English featuring bold and inspiring voices: Syrian swimmer Yusra Mardini Holocaust survivor and clinical psychologist Edith Eva Eger and experienced business leader Melanie Seymour. Expect powerful stories and the kind of inspiration that stays with you Real strength often comes from freedom – the freedom to go after your dreams Get tickets here Szechenyi Baths is one of Budapest's most popular attractions Szimpla Kert was one of Budapest's first ruin bars W Budapest: a chic bolthole in the former home of the Hungarian State Ballet Academy Everything you need to know for a long weekend in Hungary's charming capital which is actually made up of two towns called Buda and Pest which straddle the river attracts nearly seven million visitors a year It is absolutely packed with baroque, neoclassical and art nouveau architecture, with grand boulevards to rival those of Paris and has centuries of turbulent history to discover But in the more recent past few decades the Hungarian capital has grown into a modern So whether you want to wander around museums shop in the designer boutiques on Andrássy Avenue or see in the small hours in one of the city's vibrant bars From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox For authentic yet contemporary Hungarian cuisine head for Getto Gulyas but the chicken paprikash (available in mushroom for vegetarians) also deserves its place on the menu Nightingale by Beefbar is one of the city's newest fine dining options and offers a fusion of Asian cuisine for brunch The yakiniku steak and hamachi crudo yellowtail sashimi are standout dishes but make sure you leave room for their signature Choco Beef dessert and a cocktail Lángos is Budapest's favorite street food, a deep-fried flatbread smothered in whatever toppings you choose. It is available throughout the city, but Retro Lángos undoubtedly serves one of the best Bortodoor City is the perfect spot to explore the world of Hungarian wine but they will welcome you with a glass of fizz and take the time to talk you through the many wines gracing their shelves On Sundays they sell the previous week's selections at a discounted rate opposite the State Opera House on the distinguished Andrássy Avenue This chic property is in the 1886 Drechsler Palace former home of the Hungarian State Ballet Academy before it was utterly transformed by the fashionable hotel chain The internal courtyard is now an atrium with an innovative glass roof while the pool is housed in a former underground nightclub Design touches include tiles inspired by those on Hungarian church roofs and a second skin of metalwork under the building’s decorative arches representing the twin sides of Buda and Pest Work out your knots at the Away spa where a maze of corridors leads to treatment rooms fitness centre and a plunge pool framed by gothic arches and terracotta detailing guaranteed to give you a good night's sleep Sign up for The Week’s Travel newsletter for destination inspiration and the latest news and trends A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com Which language would you like to use this site in Amnesty International has announced the launch of an international campaign calling on the Hungarian authorities to “Let Pride March” launched tomorrow in the run up to the 30th anniversary of Budapest Pride is calling on the city’s chief of police to enable people to take part in Pride safely It is also encouraging people around the world to show support and solidarity with LGBTI people and their allies in Hungary and we will be marching alongside all those who oppose discrimination  people in Hungary have marched through the streets of Budapest to celebrate Pride and demand equality and dignity for LGBTI people and we will be marching alongside all those who oppose discrimination and the rollback of freedom of expression and peaceful assembly,” said Dávid Vig “The recent anti-Pride law is the latest measure targeting and stigmatizing LGBTI individuals and groups and attempting to strip away the hard-won rights of LGBTI people Large numbers are expected to peacefully take to the streets and they must be permitted to march safely.”  Under the terms of the new anti-Pride law which was rushed through parliament in March in an expedited procedure without consultation – it is ‘forbidden to hold an assembly in violation’ of 2021 legislation banning the ‘depiction and promotion’ of homosexuality and diverse gender identities to people under 18 the authorities have the power to use facial recognition technology to identify participants and to fine those who participate in any prohibited assembly organizers of an assembly which is banned risk criminal charges and up to one year imprisonment It is vital that the Hungarian authorities do not impose undue restrictions or a pre-emptive ban on Budapest Pride The new law also widens the conditions under which the police may disperse a notified assembly An unlawful dispersal of Pride participants could create unrest tensions and possible escalation of violence Amnesty International is calling on the police to respect protect and facilitate people’s right to protest as required by their obligations under international law The adoption of this new law was made possible by yesterday’s vote in the Hungarian Parliament passing an amendment The vote provides a constitutional basis for denying the gender identities of some people in Hungary and which allows the authorities to curtail rights As people around the world celebrate Pride we invite them to join our campaign demanding Hungarian authorities #LetPrideMarch “It is vital that the Hungarian authorities do not impose undue restrictions or a pre-emptive ban on Budapest Pride the march should go ahead unhindered and the response of the police should be fully human rights compliant,” said Catrinel Motoc Amnesty International’s Senior Campaigner on the Right to Protest “As people around the world celebrate Pride we invite them to join our campaign demanding Hungarian authorities #LetPrideMarch and end the use of legislation based on harmful stereotypes and we must support the brave protesters of Budapest Pride.”   Budapest Pride is scheduled for 28 June and the #LetPrideMarch campaign launched on 16 April 2025 which prohibits the “depiction or promotion” of homosexuality and diverse gender identities to under-18s A fine of up to 200,000 HUF (500 EUR) may be applied for people who attend Pride #In a report published in July 2024, Amnesty International documented an array of trends and patterns of restrictions and violations to the right to protest in 21 countries, including Hungary. Hungary is among the countries flouting its international and regional human rights obligations to respect, protect and facilitate peaceful assemblies, to remove obstacles and to avoid unwarranted interferences with people’s right to freedom of peaceful assembly and expression. Together we can fight for human rights everywhere. Your donation can transform the lives of millions. If you are talented and passionate about human rights then Amnesty International wants to hear from you. Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. Hundreds of dogs and their owners gathered in an attempt to set record for the largest single-breed dog walk I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Hundreds of dachshunds and their owners descended upon Budapest City Park vying for a national record in a mass dog walk dedicated to the stubby-legged breed Under the watchful eye of the Hungarian Records Association on Thursday the long procession of pups and people wound its way through the park in the spring sunshine The event aimed to establish a new record for the largest single-breed dog walk in Hungary registrar and president of the Hungarian Records Association acknowledged the challenge of accurately counting the number of participants "We don’t usually take dachshunds on walks in droves so this experiment has to correspond to our system of rules," he explained Dachshunds, originally bred in Germany known for their short legs and muscular build The cheerful gathering in Budapest City Park served as a testament to the breed's enduring popularity Also known as “wiener dogs” or “sausage dogs” for their long they were initially bred for hunting badgers and other burrowing creatures curious and playful nature has also made them popular as family pets a rainbow-colored dachshund named Waldi became the first official mascot in the history of the Olympic Summer Games the German city of Regensburg set the current world record for the largest dachshund dog walk as hundreds of the breed paraded through the medieval town centre While some counts from Regensburg put the number of dogs at 1,175, Guinness World Records could only confirm 897. On Thursday, Lili Horváth and her 1-year-old dachshund Zabos participated in the walk in Budapest. She said her furry friend "has very deeply human qualities and is very loyal, he’s really a love bomb.” Valeria Fábián, who was walking her dachshund Zsebi, saw it differently. “Few people are capable of giving this kind of selflessness, because people don’t have as much love and self-sacrifice as a dog can give a human,” she said. By the end of the record-seeking walk, the Hungarian Records Association determined that 500 dachshunds had been present — enough to set a Hungarian record, but still short of the Guinness mark set in Regensburg. Organisers, undeterred, vowed to try again next year — giving them plenty of time to muster more mutts for another shot at the title. Dachshunds and their owners take part in an attempt to set Hungary’s record for the largest dog walk of a single breed, at Budapest City Park, Budapest Robert Lansing Institute Hungary under Viktor Orbán has become a geopolitical pivot point where Russian oil money This convergence presents serious risks to both the European Union and NATO. Orbán’s deepening entanglements with Moscow—masked as business ventures—are not only eroding EU unity but also offering Russia a financial lifeline amid Western sanctions Despite Hungary’s formal membership in the Western bloc its behavior increasingly resembles a Trojan horse within the alliance. The United States must weigh decisive sanctions as Hungary may already be drifting beyond the point of strategic ambiguity an unannounced arrival in Budapest set off quiet alarm bells in Western capitals landed under the radar on Delta flight DL-763 heading straight into two closed-door meetings at the opulent New York Palace hotel The attendees: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán oligarch István Tiborcz (Orbán’s son-in-law) and a Trump Organization envoy overseeing a $3.2 billion portfolio of global real estate and energy assets At the center of the discussion were three sectors: banking (OTP Bank) and pharmaceuticals (Richter Gedeon). These are not ordinary deals—they form a geopolitical triangle through which Russian war money And Hungary sits comfortably at the fulcrum OTP Bank’s Russian subsidiary posted a staggering 40% profit growth in 2024 reaching $372 million—funds reportedly used to finance Russia’s military logistics including pontoon bridges for the invasion of Ukraine and EU sanctions are being bypassed through payments disguised as “inland waterway logistics.” These flows are routed through OTP’s Hungarian accounts and funneled into Russian state-backed industries Budapest has not distanced itself from OTP’s Russian operations the bank’s profits now form the backbone of Hungary’s fiscal independence from frozen EU funds Tiborcz and the Raiffeisen Deal: A Trojan Horse for the Kremlin István Tiborcz is negotiating the acquisition of the Russian branch of Austria’s Raiffeisen Bank International However, Tiborcz—widely viewed as a Kremlin-friendly figure—may serve as a nominal buyer enabling Russia to repatriate dividends via Hungary the deal is worth €1.3 billion and is directly overseen by a senior aide to President Putin this backdoor acquisition would allow the Kremlin to re-enter the European financial system via Budapest While Washington calls for strategic decoupling from Beijing Orbán is rolling out the red carpet. From the Budapest–Belgrade railway to a planned €7 billion battery gigafactory by Chinese giant CATL near Debrecen Hungary has become China’s bridge into the EU warnings about technological backdoors and digital sovereignty threats Hungary has pledged over €2.4 billion in tax incentives to Chinese firms The plan envisions $3–4 billion in direct U.S investments over the next three years. But even as American capital enters Hungary Russian and Chinese influence continues to dominate the underlying architecture.The Kremlin’s Strategic Dividend NATO intelligence suggests €820 million in disguised “loans” from Hungary reached Russian shipbuilding and IT sectors Hungary has effectively transformed into a triangulation hub: a station where Russian oil money and American hotel chains meet. The State Department is signaling that OTP Bank and Tiborcz could face designation under the U.S Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list if Hungarian-Russian collaboration continues The financial architecture of Hungary is dangerously reliant on Kremlin-linked profits If any one of the three major benefactors—Moscow Hungary has become the soft underbelly of Europe’s geopolitical order. Orbán is not merely hedging between East and West—he is monetizing the very tension that the EU and NATO aim to resolve must respond with strategic clarity: targeted sanctions tightened oversight of American capital flows and a direct challenge to Hungary’s double game The only question is: who will pull the plug first—and into whose arms will Orbán’s Hungary fall To dismantle the increasingly destructive triangulation between Hungary the United States and its allies in the EU and NATO can pursue a coordinated strategy across diplomatic Below are the most actionable and effective options: 2. Financial Pressure & Conditional Aid 4. Expose and Undermine the Narrative Russia aalready  use its close relationship with Viktor Orbán to play a geopolitical game against the United States leveraging Hungary as a wedge within both NATO and the European Union.:  2. Sanctions Evasion and Economic Subversion  3. Manipulating U.S.-EU Relations  4. Exporting Kremlin Narratives  5. Using Hungary to Penetrate EU/Western Markets has become Russia’s “legalized loophole” inside the Western system The Kremlin does not need to manipulate Budapest overtly—Orbán’s interests now align with Putin’s in several key areas For Russia, Hungary is a lever to weaken the West from within—cheap it is possible to weaken or even dismantle the Orbán regime multilevel approach—strategically combining economic pressure Here’s a breakdown of the tools 🔻 How the Orbán Regime Can Be Weakened 3. Support to the Hungarian Opposition 4. Expose Corruption and Foreign Influence ⚠️ What Makes Dismantling Orbán Difficult It is a hybrid kleptocracy that survives on foreign capital and EU dysfunction. By cutting the financial arteries and exposing the external manipulation, the regime can be weakened significantly or even dismantled over time it will require firm U.S.-EU cooperation and a clear commitment to democratic values More on this story: Hungary: Trojan Horse in Russia’s Proxy War Against Europe More on the story: Hungary is setting closer cooperation with Russia in Chad More on this story: Budapest Establishes Infiltration Channel for Russian Intelligence More on this story: Hungary: no more sanctions on Russia, as top leaders defend their own corrupt interests More on this story: Hungary plays as China’s bat to kick the US out of the EU economy More on this story: Psychological profile of Hungary’s Prime Minister  More on this story: Orban’s Government Betrays the Values of the 1956 Revolution and Exploits Trump’s Image More on this story: Hungarian Prime Minister Joins Russian Efforts to Interfere in U.S. Elections More on this story: NATO Faces Urgent Call for Reform Amid Russian Infiltration and Growing Doubts About Member States’ Commitment More on this story: Hungary and the ICC: A Test Case for Europe’s Rule-of-Law Commitments Headquarter: director@lansinginstitute.org Africa: africa@lansinginstitute.org America: america@lansinginstitute.org Asia: asia@lansinginstitute.org Europe: europe@lansinginstitute.org European branch:La Grande Arche – Paroi Nord La Défense FR,1 Tunnel de Nanterre-La Défense Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here The first 26 qualified athletes have been named and the distribution of finals has been confirmed to kick off the 500-day countdown for the World Athletics Ultimate Championship some 360 star athletes and one record-setting prize pot All eyes will be on Budapest’s National Athletics Centre on 11-13 September 2026 when the world’s greatest will settle the debate In the battle to determine the champion of champions the world’s best athletes will clash in 28 events across three action-packed sessions of competition The programme will feature women’s and men’s competition in the 100m Each session will be stacked with finals* – no heats and only the top four in each will make it through to the final 5000m and relay races will be straight finals – no second chances Friday 11 September• Men’s 5000m• Women’s 100m hurdles• Men’s 110m hurdles• Women’s high jump • Men’s pole vault • Women’s long jump • Men’s hammer throw • Mixed 4x100m relay • Mixed 4x400m relay Saturday 12 September • Women’s 100m • Men’s 100m • Women’s 800m • Women’s 1500m • Women’s 400m hurdles • Men’s 400m hurdles• Women’s pole vault • Men’s long jump • Women’s javelin throw Sunday 13 September • Women’s 200m • Men’s 200m • Women’s 400m • Men’s 400m • Men’s 800m • Men’s 1500m • Women’s 5000m • Men’s high jump • Women’s triple jump • Men’s javelin throw The Ultimate Championship will be a non-stop passion-fuelled festival of track and field As the pinnacle of the 2026 track and field season the Ultimate Championship will pit world champions and Olympic champions against Wanda Diamond League winners and the year’s best performing athletes Twenty-six athletes have already automatically qualified as reigning individual Olympic champions: The list of qualified athletes will also include:• 26 world champions from the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25• 25 Diamond League Final winners from the 2026 season• The best performers of 2026 There’s no cap on how many stars from each country can compete in each event teams will be able to qualify automatically via the 2026 World Athletics Relays in Botswana Athletes will battle for their share of a record-setting prize pot of US$10 million the largest ever offered in a single track and field event Every athlete lining up in Budapest will be rewarded for their performance Every ultimate champion will walk away with the top prize of US$150,000 Partnerships and enhanced promotional rights for athletes will also unlock greater financial opportunities for the stars and the sport Individual: 1st $150,000; 2nd $75,000; 3rd $40,000; 4th $25,000; 5th $16,000; 6th $14,000; 7th $12,000; 8th $10,000; 9th $9,000; 10th $8,000; 11th $7,000; 12th $6,000; 13th $5,000; 14th $4,000; 15th $3,000; 16th $2,000 Relays: 1st $80,000; 2nd $40,000; 3rd $24,000; 4th $20,000; 5th $16,000; 6th $14,000; 7th $10,000; 8th $8,000 World Athletics will oversee the event’s production and all broadcast partnerships with a priority on ensuring fans everywhere can tune in via free-to-air television and digital platforms With Tata Communications and HBS as host broadcaster the Ultimate Championship will light up the Budapest National Athletics Centre and screens across the globe *Full timetable and running order yet to be released Step into the whimsical world of The Grand Budapest Hotel Wes Anderson’s visually stunning tale set in 1930s Europe The film follows the adventures of a hotel manager as he faces the rise of totalitarianism film critic Pat Finn will explore Anderson’s signature visual style and the themes of aesthetics and the humanizing virtues of a curated life Popcorn & Drinks (including beer and wine) available for purchase 10 am–4 pmClosed Thanksgiving and Christmas $7/Youth & SeniorsFree access to the Great Hall and Museum Shop info@nbm.org Smeal College of BusinessPenn State Smeal team places in the CUBE in BudapestA team of Penn State Smeal College of Business students from the Nittany Lion Consulting Group placed second in the preliminary case of the Corvinus Undergraduate Business Experience International Case Competition held April 11-17 at Corvinus University in Budapest we had the chance to challenge our critical thinking immerse ourselves in a European city and expand our global perspective by connecting with students from around the world.” — A team of four students from the Penn State Smeal College of Business Nittany Lion Consulting Group (NLCG) placed second in the preliminary case of the Corvinus Undergraduate Business Experience International Case Competition (CUBE) held April 11-17 at Corvinus University in Budapest a third-year student majoring in finance; Hunter Badamo a third-year student double majoring in management information systems and accounting; Faith Ann Finch a fourth-year student majoring in corporate innovation and entrepreneurship major; and Justin Heckler collaborated in Smeal’s first time competing in the CUBE “Our team agreed the trip to Budapest was one of the most valuable and memorable experiences of our college careers,” said Shiry immerse ourselves in a European city and expand our global perspective by connecting with students from around the world Alla and Penn State for giving us the opportunity to represent the University on an international stage.” associate teaching professor in the Department of Management and Organization and program director of NLCG academic advising manager and director of engagement and outreach for the Office of Undergraduate Education The Smeal team was selected to complete after a highly competitive evaluation process that identified 16 teams from Europe The theme of the case was Hewlett Packard Enterprise Hungary: Empowering Customer Journeys Leveraging Solutions for Transformative Experiences Anna Porter has returned to her hometown many times over the years A recent visit provided an opportunity to say goodbye to the city and to reckon with her complicated relationship with her place of birth you never get over the place where you were born Not even when your last memories are of bloodshed and tears I had tried to resist my mother’s insistence that we escape the Soviet occupation because my childhood was full of Hungarian stories and I doubted there would ever be other stories to take their place Not counting summer trips to an island in Georgian Bay I have visited Budapest more often than any other place on Earth with my husband (only twice because he was certain the security police recorded his every word) a group of friends looking for an East European adventure with one daughter’s family and another’s husband It was to be my final visit to the city of my birth The severed head of the Josef Stalin statue on the street in Budapest during the 1956 uprising my mother wanted to see Hungarian relatives and a former Communist ex-husband She also longed for the old baroque buildings of Budapest and long evenings in old-world restaurants in the “Inner City” where the violinist leans in to sing or just say the words of your favourite songs She missed all this despite her earlier decision to take me out of the country risking imprisonment and the probability of not getting her job back afterward After her previous attempt to cross the border with me she had been condemned to eight months in a Szombathely jail wet night in a field with gun-toting Russians and more nights in a jail near Hegyeshalom my mother gave it one last try three days later Anna's daughter and the violinist at the Dunacorso.COURTESY ANNA PORTER A few weeks ago at the Dunacorso restaurant I suddenly remembered one of her beloved gypsy songs It was both strangely moving and hilarious when a musician leaned in to look more intensely into my daughter’s eyes the strings vibrating as he played Az a szép akinek a szeme kék which means something like “Only the one with the bluest eyes is beautiful.” (OK We had already been to Matthias Church in the Castle District and everyone shared my enthusiasm for the brilliant paint work the elegant Gothic tower and the stories about its long and somewhat fictitious history that go all the way back to King Stephen (Saint Stephen because he brought Christianity to the heathens who used to live here) in AD1000 or so and the Golden Age of Hungary under Matthias Corvinus in the 15th century the church was destroyed and rebuilt many times since Hungary is on the crossroads between East and West but it has somehow retained the elements that made it the most revered church in Budapest It was in this church that my grandfather first told me he would have to live the rest of his life in exile My grandfather used to tell me stories about the Mongols still mourning the passing of the crown to the Habsburgs after Matthias’s death in 1490 Mathias Church is also known as the Coronation Church because this is where Franz Joseph I (a Habsburg) was crowned on June 8 the last almost emperor-king of the Habsburg dynasty and grandson of Franz Joseph comfortable in a range of languages and pleased to let me choose which one we would converse in He lived in a rather modest house in Pocking and he was exceedingly fond of his two elderly dachshunds something that endeared him to me immediately where the Habsburgs stayed when they were in residence I had wanted to go down to the cellars where my mother had hidden for a while during the 50-day siege of the city in the waning weeks of the Second World War and where my grandfather had once approached the general in charge of defending Budapest to beg him not to destroy it But the man had his orders from the Germans and the city was destroyed Perhaps I should have explained to my family that Hungary’s leaders chose to be on the German side in that war and but there was not enough time for such long Photo illustration from Anna's pictures of her last trip to Budapest in March 2025 the view across the Danube is as stunning as ever though it may have lost some of its magic for me now that my childhood is a distant memory My mother had watched Pest burn from somewhere near here It had been dangerous to go outside during the siege but she was young and reckless and she had already lost so much of her young life to the horrors of war that she didn’t care The Germans were firing their machine-guns above her right shoulder running from building to building on the Pest side of the Danube She recognized a former boyfriend hanging from a lamppost on her way back to the villa she shared with her parents the German army marched into Budapest and the days of the city’s once-vibrant Jewish community were numbered almost 500,000 Hungarians had been sent to Auschwitz One in three of those who perished in the infamous death camp were Hungarians In 2005 a memorial was constructed on this bank of the Danube to honour the thousands of victims of the Arrow Cross’ reign of terror thousands of Budapest’s Jews were marched to the embankment At the river-side memorial for the Arrow Cross' victims people pay their respects on International Holocaust Remembrance Day (Jan 27) earlier this year.ATTILA KISBENEDEK/AFP/Getty Images I come by to remember all those who didn’t survive the persecution The memorial is close to the parliament buildings where governments had enacted the anti-Jewish laws that had made Jews visible enemies of the state In today’s divisive political atmosphere with summary evictions of legal immigrants from the United States where refugees are classed as enemies of the state it isn’t difficult to make the assumption that this could happen again Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban was the first in Europe to erect a militarized fence against refugees and to bill himself as a defender of Christianity against the mobs coming to invade Europe I always look for the bullet holes from 1956 when I was here with a crowd of mostly young protesters carrying Hungarian flags and signs demanding the Russians go home when state police officers (the dreaded AVO) opened fire from a ministry’s rooftop Anti-Soviet protesters wave a Hungarian flag from a captured Soviet tank in front of the houses of parliament in Budapest on Nov the building with the bullet holes was covered for construction In a corner of the square there used to be a statue of Imre Nagy the prime minister called back to office by the Revolution After the brutal suppression of the Revolution he was executed by the AVO on orders from the Soviet-backed government and buried in an unmarked grave to be very careful what I said because “walls have ears” and you never knew when someone would be arrested for insulting the regime The AVO’s former headquarters on Andrassy Boulevard are now the site of the House of Terror a memorial to the victims of Soviet repression in Hungary Actors perform in front of the Museum of Terror in Budapest on Oct 2018 to commemorate the 62nd anniversary of the Hungarian uprising.ATTILA KISBENEDEK/AFP/Getty Images It’s also a stark reminder of the horrors of the Holocaust as this once posh villa served both the Hungarian Nazis and the Communists A small section of the museum is dedicated to the hundreds of people tortured and murdered here by the Arrow Cross despite the fact that they are mere replicas of past horrors hold a special meaning for me because this is where the AVO brought my grandfather after they arrested him on trumped up charges and this is where they tried to extract information from him and force an admission of guilt secured my grandfather’s release four months early My mother once told me she had married the man not only so that her father would be freed but also because he could negotiate her parents’ departure for New Zealand the 25-metre tall statue of Josef Stalin at the corner of Varosliget (City Park) was destroyed by revolutionaries wielding axes and chisels I managed to pick up a small piece of Stalin for my grandfather The House of Terror’s Gulag Room maps the many Siberian work camps where Hungarians ended their days My granddaughter asked where my father had gone after he was picked out of a bread line by a passing truck of Russian soldiers They had to fill a daily quota of prisoners to transport to the Gulag but he was lucky: They sent him back after three years at Vorkuta Imre Nagy’s remains were dug up in 1989 and reburied with all the pomp and circumstance due to a head of state liberal democrat a chance to give a passionate speech demanding that the Soviet army leave Hungary now the longest-serving prime minister in the European Union a friend and admirer of Vladimir Putin’s repressive a man who is proud of governing a country that has eliminated the free press all semblance of fair dealing in business and enriched a few sycophants beyond their wildest dreams The country may be a “kleptocracy” by most measures President Donald Trump and his followers express only admiration for Mr Hungary is “an inspiration to the world,” said Steve Bannon smarter or a better leader than Viktor Orban Orban at a December 2018 protest against the government's newly signed overtime law I once wrote in a magazine that the Gerbaud is the best coffee shop in the world It hasn’t lost all its charms during a couple of centuries of terrible events that I used to ogle when I was a little kid watching him swirl his espresso and hoping he would offer me a sugar cube he had soaked in the coffee while he told me tales of grand Hungarian heroes who fought implacable enemies with great bravery "the best coffee shop in the world," on her last trip to Budapest.Getty Images Hungarians have often named streets and squares after poets and novelists and Mihaly Vorosmarty was one of the greatest “Our only hope of survival as a nation,” my grandfather told me No one but Hungarians will ever know the true brilliance of Vorosmarty I can still recite dozens of Hungarian poems I had learned as a child including the rousing Szozat by Vorosmarty that every Hungarian child used to know And Petofi’s Talpra Magyar that he had recited near here It’s on this square that the 1848 uprising against Austria began with a poem and it’s here that some students may have started the 1956 Revolution Petofi’s statue stands close to the Inner City Parish Church where my parents were married There were huge posters all over the city advertising a new television series about the life of one of those heroes my grandfather told me about who defeated Pasha Mezid’s army at what is now Belgrade There is a very grim looking statue of Hunyadi in full armour among the heroes at Heroes’ Square another place I have never failed to visit when I was in Budapest Six years ago one of my grandchildren climbed up and sat between Hunyadi’s massive legs My mind is full of similar memories of my former home I have written many books and stories about Hungary I returned time and again to interview people to celebrate the publication of some of my books in translation being here felt both intensely familiar and absolutely foreign Anna (right) with one of her grandchildren.COURTESY ANNA PORTER who were visiting the city for the first time But it was almost a relief to know that this was my last visit to the place where I was born That I will not be walking along the Danube wondering what my life would have been had my mother decided to stay despite the large hole through the wall of our apartment courtesy of a Soviet tank Yet there is something magical about walking along the river on the Gellert Hill side where the cherry trees are just beginning to flower and the river is redolent of early spring rain Report an editorial error Report a technical issue Editorial code of conduct Authors and topics you follow will be added to your personal news feed in Following Tony Keller is a columnist with The Globe and Mail He joined The Globe in 1991 as an editorial writer; over a career of more than 30 years he has also served as editor of The Financial Post Magazine managing editor of Maclean’s and a TV news anchor on BNN (now BNN-Bloomberg) He returned to The Globe in 2013 to become the paper's editorials editor and remained in that position until 2022 he’s a graduate of Duke University and Yale Law School and has also been a visiting fellow at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law and the Wilson Center in Washington D.C He’s been nominated three times for the National Newspaper Award for editorial writing Andrew Willis is a business columnist for the Report on Business Working in business communications and journalism for three decades from 2010 to 2016 he was senior vice-president of communications for Brookfield Asset Management a leading global alternative asset management company which exposed the ways that Canadian police services mishandle sexual assault cases training and practices around sexual violence Doolittle’s other notable projects include the “Power Gap”, an investigation of gender inequities in the workforce, and “Secret Canada,” which examines Canada’s broken freedom of information system She is the author of two books, “Had It Coming – What’s Fair In The Age of #MeToo?,” which was shortlisted for the RBC Taylor Prize for non-fiction, and “Crazy Town: The Rob Ford Story,” both of which were national bestsellers Jameson Berkow is the capital markets reporter for The Globe and Mail to cover the economic implications of cannabis legalization He left in early 2020 to start an entrepreneurship magazine and rejoined The Globe in early 2022 to cover financial regulation and governance for Globe Advisor With more than a decade of experience in financial journalism Jameson was most recently the senior reporter for BNN Bloomberg (formerly the Business News Network) where he led live daily coverage of major business news from the television station’s Toronto headquarters He previously worked as the station’s Western Canada bureau chief based in Calgary where his reporting on pipeline politics and the 2014 oil price crash was nominated for numerous awards.\nHis series of reports from Fort McMurray Alberta in 2015 was a finalist for the RTDNA Dave Rogers Award Jameson was the technology reporter for the Financial Post in Toronto where he created and hosted the FP Tech Desk podcast and authored the weekly Startup Spotlight profile series Jameson got his start in journalism in 2007 as a fact-checker for Toronto Life magazine where his first byline was for a story about two dogs getting married Have you signed up yet for my twice-weekly e-mail newsletter, Carrick on Money? Subscribe here Paul Attfield is a reporter at The Globe and Mail Born in England and raised both there and in France Paul is now a dual citizen of Canada and the United Kingdom He has called Toronto home since moving there from London in 2005 Working in The Globe’s sports department since 2006 Paul started out covering predominantly soccer and rugby he has become more of a general assignment reporter writing about pretty much anything involving a bat Temur Durrani is a national reporter for The Globe and Mail a Globe business podcast about how our failures shape us he was a technology reporter for The Globe’s Report on Business he broke news and wrote extensively about Canadian firms like Shopify turbulence in global cryptocurrency markets A globe-trotting newshound hailing from British Columbia and even the Raptors’ historic run to the NBA final Before joining The Globe in February of 2022 where he reported investigative stories and business features for broadcast and digital audiences he was a staffer at the Winnipeg Free Press A juror since 2021 for the annual Dalton Camp Award which grants young writers with a $10,000 prize for the best essay on the link between media and democracy TV and radio panels to provide news analysis He speaks in six languages fluently or conversationally (guess which ones!) takes his caffeinated beverages very seriously Carrie Tait is a reporter in The Globe and Mail’s Calgary Bureau Her coverage ranges from race relations in her home province of Saskatchewan to the lighthearted topic of skiing cats in Alberta Carrie has reported on the wildfires and floods in Alberta and British Columbia; how Cargill’s meat-processing plant in High River became the site of Canada’s largest single outbreak of COVID-19; and naming trends among Calgary Stampede participants she covered energy for the Globe’s Report on Business and has also reported for the National Post She joined the National Post’s Calgary bureau in 2008 Barry Hertz is the Deputy Arts Editor and Film Editor for The Globe and Mail He previously served as the Executive Producer of Features for the National Post and was a manager and writer at Maclean’s before that Barry’s arts and culture writing has also been featured in several publications, including Reader’s Digest and NOW Magazine. His favourite film franchise is the Fast and Furious series and he will offer no apologies for that fact \n\nAfter completing The Globe’s summer reporting program Pippa has written for a number of The Globe’s newsletters She has also been a regular contributor to a personal finance series about the great wealth transfer Pippa was lead editor for The Tyee's What Works series on sustainable enterprises She also reported breaking news for CityNews Vancouver freelanced for Canada’s National Observer and worked as a research associate for the Climate Disaster project She published her findings on the lack of climate change attribution in Ottawa media in J-Source Pippa has reported from The Globe's Vancouver and Toronto bureaus Irene Galea is a business reporter for The Globe and Mail's Report on Business She currently covers the telecommunications industry She has reported from five countries in three languages and her work has earned two awards and an honourable mention from the Society for American Business Editors and Writers (SABEW) for best business reporting in Canada reporting on European business and politics from Berlin Irene is also the host of City Space, The Globe and Mail's podcast on the future of cities. Its 2024 season concluded with an interview on housing, immigration and economics with former prime minister Justin Trudeau Irene's writing has been published by the Financial Post National Trust for Canada and the Canadian Museums Association was broadcast nationally by CBC as part of the Absolutely Canadian series Irene holds a Masters of Building History from the University of Cambridge Her dissertation explored the development of 19th-century bank architecture in Toronto She received a Bachelor of Journalism from Carleton University where she was awarded the University Medal for ranking first in class Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre and his wife Anaida Poilievre depart a polling station after voting in Ottawa on Monday Welcome to The Globe and Mail’s comment community. This is a space where subscribers can engage with each other and Globe staff. Non-subscribers can read and sort comments but will not be able to engage with them in any way. 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For more information on our commenting policies and how our community-based moderation works, please read our Community Guidelines and our Terms and Conditions and join forces on May 1st (midday -10 pm) to spoil us with all kinds of events The restaurants that form the core of the group will be offering street food you can look forward to a children's corner Details here set off on an adventure at  ReMarket's upcoming flea market (10 am-5 pm) might not be central (hop on bus 133E at Astoria station) You'll be spoiled with treasures all around and other goodies awaiting their second life Details here Did you know that Budapest has its very own Chinatown And they are opening their terrace for the season on 1 May promising a vibrant gastro hub for all fans of Southeast cuisine 12 vendors will be cooking up authentic dishes which you can then savour al fresco (every day between 5 pm and 11 pm) So head to Kőbánya (Budapest's 10th district) and taste Chinese street food at its best: pancake And don't forget to wash it down with Chinese beer Details here Giulia is a true gem in Buda near Széll Kálmán tér: a chic restaurant offering Italian food and great vibes And those vibes are even greater sitting at one of the outdoor tables And the garden is ready to reopen on 1 May and with it returns the lively buzz around long tables expect a pasta-focused menu – plus a brand-new summer drink list DJs will take over to match the garden's unbeatable atmosphere a special Mother's Day brunch is also on the horizon Book a table here Cinco de Mayo might be a Mexican holiday (commemorating the Battle of Puebla, along with resilience, culture, and identity), but Budapest is ready to celebrate it too. Downtown Mexican restaurant Tereza is getting dressed up to party again and take you to Mexico special dishes and drinks created just for this occasion Book a table here Get ready for epic sunsets at the foot of the iconic Chain Bridge Riverside hangout Pontoon is setting up its tables and unfolding its deck chairs to kick off the season And they are gearing up for a 5-day opening celebration This spot is a bucket list item for anyone who loves a laid-back drink or a knees-up Details here See the full programme here Since their nearly simultaneous inception in the late 19th century America and the car have been inextricably linked the automobile revolutionised movement by delivering newfound freedom and speed while photography emerged as a dynamic medium to capture progress and transformation Drawing from the brilliant and discerning collection of György Pálfi this remarkable selection of photographs illustrates how the car and photography have led parallel lives from the mid-20th century to the present and design facets that have come to define American life Details here Budapest Dance Festival has been bringing the best of contemporary dance to town – and this year's no different The first three international shows set the tone for an exciting lineup at the National Dance Theatre On 3-4 May,Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT 2) returns with a bold Details here Get tickets here Hungarians celebrate Mother's Day on the first Sunday of May you can enjoy the festive atmosphere whether you celebrate it now or on a different date escape the city buzz and step into a serene oasis — a secret garden tucked inside a historic palace to dine beneath vine leaves and enjoy some tunes The selection is simply yummy: Scandi Brunch with salmon gravlax and caviar indulgent goat cheese omelettes with hollandaise fluffy Harvest Pancakes with seasonal fruit decadent chocolate pancakes with pecans and sage savoury French toast with balsamic vegetables and quinoa porridge with pistachio and salted-caramel crisps — all best enjoyed with a crisp mimosa on Bordy House's sun-drenched terrace Book a table here The design fair of MOME (Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design) students returns this spring, at a brand new venue, Turbina Cultural Centre clothes and unique design products that you won't find anywhere else if you're wondering what MOME students work on come and check out the fair and chat with the designers Details here Another brilliant fair is popping up this Sunday: Makers' Market Budapest. They’re kicking off the season at a brand-new location – Zsiráf at Nyugati tér so get ready to spend the afternoon browsing There’ll be plenty to see – and just as much to sip Details here The Hockettes clinched gold and DC EDGE earned silver at Budapest Cup this weekend Team USA claimed the top two spots on the podium at the Budapest Cup 2025 this past weekend as the Hockettes clinched gold and DC EDGE earned silver the Hockettes and DC EDGE went 1-2 to close out the junior synchronized skating competition season for the United States DC EDGE came in first in the short program They were the only team to earn positive grades of execution on every element Their Level 4 twizzle element received a 1.17 grade of execution and was their highest scoring element at 7.67 points helping them achieve a segment score of 58.00 the Hockettes skated their short program to "Time to Say Goodbye" by Andrea Bocelli including a Level 4 twizzle element that generated7.41 points Michigan-based Hockettes took the lead and the overall win after scoring a new season’s best 105.38 for the segment All the elements in their “breaking the glass ceiling”-themed program received positive grades of execution including a Level 4 synchronized spin and a Level 4 intersection The team achieved a season’s best total score of 161.47 to clinch the gold Also finishing the competition with a season’s best total score of 156.14 DC EDGE claimed the silver after performing their “fairies”-themed free skate Their program featured Level 4 marks for five elements with their Level 4 intersection with a Level 3 points of intersection garnering 8.12 points To view full results, click here. For more information on Team USA synchronized skating, visit the U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR SPONSORS Website Created by Taoti Creative Team USA is on the road again with six U.S athletes set to compete at Budapest Trophy the sixth stop of the ISU Challenger Series Here's everything you need to know about this weekend's competition and the Team USA athletes competing: What: Challenger Series Budapest TrophyWhen: Oct Results: https://hunskate.hu/external/mukorcsolya/2024_2025/Budapesttrophy2024/index.htm Livestream: https://hunskate.tv/hunskate-tv/ and British Prime Minister John Major sign the Budapest Memorandum on December 5 Yeltsin Berated NATO Expansion and Signed Security Assurances to Ukraine Clinton’s Two Tracks Collided: NATO Enlargement and Russia Engagement Ukraine Traded Deteriorating Soviet Warheads for Nuclear Power Fuel Rods Compiled and edited by Svetlana Savranskaya and Tom Blanton For more information, contact:202-994-7000 or nsarchiv@gwu.edu (The eruption wouldn’t happen until Budapest.) (Source: Inosmi.ru) Top of the front page of The New York Times President Bill Clinton and Russian President Boris Yeltsin during an arrival ceremony for the Russian president on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington Bill Clinton and Boris Yeltsin during their meetings at the White House on September 27 Signing of the Budapest Memorandum on December 5 the Budapest Memorandum ensured the destruction of dangerous post-Soviet nuclear stockpiles but was overshadowed at the time by Russian President Boris Yeltsin’s complaint that NATO expansion was causing a new division of Europe documents published on the anniversary today by the National Security Archive Yeltsin’s “cold peace” blowup at Bill Clinton in Budapest in December 1994 represented the biggest train wreck on the track to NATO expansion in the 1990s and resulted from “combustible” domestic politics in both the U.S together with contradictions in the Clinton attempt to have his cake and eat it too—expanding NATO and partnering with Russia at the same time The security assurances in the Budapest Memorandum, signed by the other nuclear powers at the highest political level as part of the deal with Ukraine, only lasted 20 years, until Russia violated those pledges (and its other treaty commitments under the Helsinki Final Act and the UN Charter) by seizing Crimea in 2014 and then invading Ukraine in 2022.[2] critics of the Budapest Memorandum inaccurately describe the Soviet warheads as Ukraine’s “nuclear deterrent” against Russia when the documents show those weapons were targeted on the U.S and could not be maintained safely in Ukraine One leading Russian expert advised Yeltsin in September 1994 against offering any inducements to the Ukrainians because the warheads were already rotting: Soon “Ukraine itself will be asking us” to take the warheads “and it will have to pay for the transfer.” (See Document 2)  The Ukrainian Academy of Sciences had already concluded that Ukraine could not afford the billions necessary for a nuclear fuel cycle that would prevent decay of the warhead fissile material, especially in the face of inevitable international sanctions such as those placed on North Korea.[3] Ukraine’s oil and gas debts to Russia at the time had already reached $5 billion according to documents from the Russian Duma and more than half of that would be forgiven as part of the Budapest deal.  (See Document 8) made the top of the front page of the New York Times the next day with the Russian president’s accusation (in front of Clinton and other heads of state gathered for a summit of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe was “trying to split [the] continent again” through NATO expansion The angry tone of Yeltsin’s speech was echoed years later in his successor Vladimir Putin’s famous 2007 speech at the Munich security conference though by then the list of Russian grievances went well beyond NATO expansion to such unilateral U.S actions as withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and the invasion of Iraq in 2003 (a violation of international law that Russia would emulate with its invasion of Ukraine in 2022) the result of a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit by the National Security Archive include a series of revelatory Strobe Talbott memos to Clinton and to Secretary of State Warren Christopher and the secret memcon of the presidents’ one-on-one at the Washington summit in September 1994 Clinton kept assuring Yeltsin that any NATO enlargement would be slow At the same time, however, “policy entrepreneurs” in Washington were revving up the bureaucratic process for more rapid NATO enlargement than expected either by Moscow or the Pentagon,[4] which was committed to the Partnership for Peace as the main venue for security integration of Europe, not least because it could include Russia and Ukraine.[5] The documents include insightful cables from U.S explaining Yeltsin’s new hard line at Budapest as the result of multiple factors Pickering pointed to “strong domestic opposition across the [Russian] political spectrum to early NATO expansion,” criticism of Yeltsin and his foreign minister as too “compliant to the West,” and the growing conviction in Moscow that U.S domestic politics—the pro-expansion Republicans’ sweep of the Congressional mid-term elections in November 1994—would tilt U.S policy away from taking Russia’s concerns into account Pickering was perhaps too diplomatic, because there was plenty of blame to go around on the U.S. side. Clinton wrote in his memoir, “Budapest was embarrassing, a rare moment when people on both sides dropped the ball….”[6] Actually White House schedulers led by chief of staff Leon Panetta tried to prevent Clinton from even going to Budapest by constraining his window there to eight hours which meant there was no time for a one-on-one with Yeltsin. Clinton himself thought he was doing Yeltsin a big favor by even coming and expected good press from the substantial reduction in nuclear arsenals that would result from the signing of the Budapest memorandum on security assurances for Ukraine The documents include a previously secret National Security Council memo from Senior Director for Russia Nicholas Burns to Talbott (that was considered so sensitive that Burns had it delivered by courier) describing Clinton’s reaction to Budapest as “really pissed off” and reporting “the President did not want to be used any more as a prop by Yeltsin.” At the same time “we need to separate our understandable anger on the tone of the debate with [sic] Russia’s substantive concerns which we must take seriously.” Similarly the Pickering cables recommended using Vice President Al Gore’s previously scheduled December trip to Moscow for meetings with Prime Minister Victor Chernomyrdin to also meet with Yeltsin Mending fences would include Gore’s description to Yeltsin of the parallel NATO and U.S.-Russia tracks as spaceships docking simultaneously and very carefully[8] and Gore and then Clinton assuring the Russians (but not in writing as Russian foreign minister Kozyrev kept asking for) that no NATO action on new members would happen before the 1995 Duma elections or the 1996 presidential elections in Russia The new documents only reached the public domain as the result of a Freedom of Information lawsuit by the National Security Archive against the State Department seeking the retired files of Strobe Talbott Thanks to excellent representation by noted FOIA attorney David Sobel State set up a schedule of regular releases to the Archive over the past six years The full corpus of thousands of pages covering the entire 1990s appeared this year in the award-winning series published by ProQuest the Digital National Security Archive which won Choice magazine’s designation as an “Outstanding Academic Title 2018.” the ProQuest set US-Russia Relations from the Collapse of the Soviet Union to the Rise of Putin includes more than 2,500 documents and more than 13,000 pages of the highest-level declassified evidence The Archive also benefited from State’s assignment of veteran reviewer Geoffrey Chapman to the task of assessing the Talbott documents for declassification Clinton calls Yeltsin before departing for Poland and the Baltics several days before they would meet at the G-7 summit in Naples The purpose of this call is to allay Yeltsin’s worries about the U.S president’s meetings with Russia’s former allies have been pushing for early and fast NATO expansion Yeltsin asks him to mention the issue of Russian minorities in the Baltics Clinton summarizes what he intends to tell the Poles on NATO he quotes himself from back in January 1994 saying that “NATO’s role will eventually expand” but setting no timetable because Clinton tells his Russian counterpart: “I would like us to focus on the Partnership for Peace program so that we can achieve a united Europe where people respect each other’s borders and work together.” To Yeltsin this sounds exactly like what he heard in October 1993 from Warren Christopher and Strobe Talbott—Partnership for Peace rather than NATO expansion Clinton also notes that their partnership is working well—another theme that Yeltsin is eager to hear Clinton’s understanding of the word “partnership” seems to be very different from Yeltsin’s Translated by Svetlana Savranskaya and Anna Melyakova for the National Security Archive Vitaly Kataev served as deputy head of the defense industrial department of the CPSU Central Committee during the Soviet Union and remained in his position as presidential adviser on nuclear and defense issues in the early 1990s A top-level expert on nuclear missile complexes he sends this memorandum to Yeltsin explaining the details of missile production in Ukraine and the “precarious condition” of nuclear warheads remaining there He emphasizes that it would be impossible for Ukraine to continue missile production on its own in the current situation and that they would not be able to properly maintain the warheads some of which were entering the end of their service time Kataev summarizes Ukraine’s predicament in three concise sentences: “Ukraine does not have specialized facilities including the material and technological base for the processing and production of nuclear warheads Ukraine cannot create such conditions independently In accordance with the non-proliferation of nuclear technology regime nobody has the right to provide Ukraine this kind of assistance.” Kataev suggests that instead of bargaining with Ukraine about the price Russia was willing to pay for the warheads the Russian military leadership should present Ukraine with full information on the warheads remaining on their territory and their terms of service: “It would be advisable to stop asking Ukraine to transfer the nuclear warheads to Russia: after some time Ukraine itself will be asking us to do this and it will have to pay for this transfer.” On the second day of the Washington summit after discussion of the whole spectrum of security issues Clinton reassures Yeltsin again about NATO expansion in this “one-on-one” with Strobe Talbott as notetaker Clinton follows the script proposed by Mamedov through Talbott pretty closely asserting that he has never said that Russia could not be considered for membership and that “when we talk about NATO expanding not exclusion.” Clinton says that his priority is European unity and security that he would not spring any surprises on Yeltsin and that it would take years to bring East European countries up to the requirements and for other members to say yes president reiterates that “NATO expansion is not anti-Russian; it’s not intended to be exclusive of Russia and there is no imminent timetable.” Talbott contrasts the position of German Defense Minister Volker Ruehe who said “never” to Russian membership in NATO to that of Defense Secretary William Perry Yeltsin says “Perry is smarter than Ruehe” for saying For historians and analysts of national security decision-making this document and its context provide much to digest At the top of the memo is a process notation that the Secretary of State’s “night notes” get passed to President Clinton first thing in the morning without any cover note or commentary and that “the President always reads them on the spot.” Thus by saying “Yeltsin accepted this approach” (on NATO) telcons and letters would say that Yeltsin never really accepted NATO expansion and that his queries about Russia as a potential member show his continued skepticism Clinton Presidential Library declassification This remarkable phone call between Presidents Clinton and Kuchma looks forward to Kuchma’s state visit to Washington in November a reward for his leadership in the Ukrainian parliament (the Rada) towards nuclear non-proliferation Kuchma reiterates that “I’ll do everything possible – and even impossible” to ensure ratification of Ukraine’s joining the NPT as a non-nuclear state he offers real dollars: $130 million in Nunn Lugar funding over $100 million in balance of payments support One resonant phrase comes from Kuchma: “I am grateful for your position on Russia This text sent just a month before the Budapest meeting contains multiple examples of Russia’s quest for an equal partnership with the U.S Yeltsin writes: “There should exist a basic understanding that Russian-American partnership constitutes the central factor in the world’s politics.” The documents show that this was not Washington’s understanding Most interesting in the context of the Budapest meeting is the page and a half about Ukraine in which the Russian president describes “very good mutual understanding with President Kuchma.” Yeltsin touts a forthcoming bilateral Russian-Ukrainian treaty which Russia two decades later violated with its invasion of Crimea And Yeltsin says he sees the Budapest Memorandum as “a really milestone document which would cover all the concerns of Ukraine which is fraternal to us.” Out to the side Strobe Talbott puts question marks at the passage where Yeltsin writes “there are too many ‘caverns’ in the draft” and especially “in Ukraine’s western flank where Ukraine has its own problems.” In fact it would be the eastern flank where Russia would foment a war in the Donbas starting in 2014 this highly informal letter to the President from his Deputy Secretary of State and his former Rhodes Scholar roommate at Oxford puts the reader in the room during the process of the highest-level decision making Clinton’s domestic advisers did not want him spending any more time on foreign affairs especially given the Newt Gingrich led mid-term elections in 1994 where Republicans took back the House of Representatives after 40 years of Democratic control Talbott intervenes with what he calls “out-of-channels direct-approach special pleading on behalf of one side in a debate going on among your advisors” about attending the Budapest OSCE meeting Talbott says “You gotta go.” At stake are the “intimately related immensely important” issues of European integration and NATO expansion: “You’re committed to both these goals; reconciling them is tough but doable.” The Budapest blowup would show State Archive of the Russian Federation (GARF) gives candid Russian Foreign Ministry analysis of the state of relations with Ukraine just before the Budapest meeting Of particular note is the report that Ukraine’s debts to Russia for oil and gas “amounts to more than 5 billion dollars and it continues every day due to the fact that the supply of oil and gas and other goods continues and this debt continues to grow.” The deputy foreign minister also remarks that the total aid amount for Ukraine from the Winnipeg conference of the G-7 ($370 million) was far less than what Russia was providing ($640 million) in delaying current debt payments A final note mentions a key red flag for Russia that the Russian language should be continued as a state language in Ukraine Two days before the NATO meeting in Brussels Clinton gives Yeltsin more reassurance about their partnership and the process of NATO expansion after Ukraine’s Rada has ratified accession to the Non-Proliferation Treaty which will allow full removal of nuclear weapons from Ukraine Clinton is ready to meet with Yeltsin and the presidents of Ukraine and Kazakhstan and to provide security assurances to those countries The careful distinction is between the “guarantees,” which Yeltsin said he was ready to sign In this very short letter on the eve on the CSCE summit in Budapest and the day before the NAC meeting Yeltsin reiterates what he thinks is a common understanding regarding CSCE and NATO based on his conversations with Clinton in Washington and subsequent correspondence CSCE will play a key role in European security and it needs more than a cosmetic renovation—a transformation into a “full-fledged European organization with a sound legal base.” On NATO: “We have agreed with you that there will be no surprises that first we should pass through this phase of partnership whereas issues of further evolution of NATO should not be decided without due account to the opinion and interests of Russia.” Yeltsin warns Clinton very specifically that “[a]doption of an expedited time-table plans to start negotiations with the candidates already in the middle of the next year will be interpreted as the beginning of a new split of Europe.” Yeltsin’s and Kozyrev’s information from Washington and the European capitals certainly included rumors of an expedited schedule of NATO expansion announcing a study of requirements for NATO accession to be completed in 1995 must have sounded to Yeltsin like exactly what he was warning against contributing to Yeltsin’s growing electoral vulnerability upon reading the language of the communiqué refused to sign the Partnership for Peace documents concluding that the communiqué proclaimed that “partnership is subsidiary to enlargement.” He also relayed his understanding to Yeltsin in a phone call two days before the start of the Budapest summit all Clinton’s efforts to mollify and reassure Yeltsin are on the brink In a last-ditch attempt to preserve peace and calm at the summit Clinton sends his Russian partner this letter hoping to persuade him that this was simply a misunderstanding of the NAC communiqué on the part of Kozyrev Clinton says he was “surprised and disappointed” by the foreign minister’s actions The letter emphasizes that since the Clinton-Yeltsin meeting in Washington “we have adhered assiduously to the principles on which you and I agreed: no surprises; high priority on maintaining—and strengthening—the U.S.-Russia partnership; and careful inclusive deliberations taking a full account of the opinion and interests of Russia”—but clearly this is not how it felt in Moscow Yeltsin writes: “I cannot agree with your appraisal of this document,” meaning the NAC communiqué He believes that the present misunderstanding requires more specific explanations Clinton’s restatement of their understandings achieved in Washington is very important for Yeltsin and a broader U.S.-Russian partnership is his top priority He wants the president to provide “assurances that enlargement rather than partnership is not being emphasized now.” He also wants to engage in dialogue on “specific obligations and security guarantees for Russia and NATO.” In the Russian view the only acceptable way to enlarge NATO is if the alliance is effectively rendered “new and transformed through partnership.” The American delegation to Budapest This revealing memo from the Talbott files illuminates several extraordinary storylines from the NATO debates inside the Clinton administration apparently Talbott predicted that the Partnership for Peace (so strongly favored by the Pentagon rather than NATO expansion) would eventually replace NATO or be NATO’s successor; and his boss Talbott still criticized the prevalent rhetoric about Partnership for Peace as “a kind of holding room for members-in-waiting of NATO” on multiple grounds may be “prejudging a pessimistic answer to one of the great questions of our time: Is Russia on the road to eventual full integration with the West Or is Russian imperialism just in remission?” Fourth Talbott justifies the NATO expansion rationale after and “if those bad forces were to gain the upper hand in Russia”; yet NATO expansion preceded and arguably encouraged that upper hand Talbott went along with the presidential decision for rapid expansion of NATO and Russian presidential elections in 1996 but this memo makes exactly the succinct case that Secretary of Defense William Perry and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs John Shalikashvili were supporting for the Partnership for Peace as an alternative to NATO expansion precisely because P4P included Russia and Ukraine In this prescient and very carefully worded NODIS cable Ambassador Thomas Pickering gives his analysis of Kozyrev and Yeltsin’s behavior and their reaction to the NAC communiqué He cites several causes that explain the blowup; among them Kozyrev’s personal sensitivities is pushing harder for NATO expansion than other NATO countries (and harder than they have admitted to the Russians) He points correctly to the strong opposition to NATO expansion across the entire Russian political spectrum and the support that tough speeches have received at home The Russian leadership perceived that the U.S was telling different things about NATO expansion to its Western allies and Russia (true) Pickering’s recommendations are not to pick a fight with Yeltsin but to give him assurances and mend fences during the upcoming Gore visit to Moscow—telling Yeltsin explicitly that there would be no decisions on expansion before the Russian election in June 1996 and no new members before the end of the century This immediate follow-up cable to Document 10 provides specific advice for preparing Gore’s visit and his meeting with Yeltsin It is based on a candid conversation with Georgy Mamedov and the latter’s previous long conversation with Kozyrev Pickering thinks “it would be particularly important to lean as far forward as we can in reassuring Yeltsin that we envisage no actual decisions on new members before June of 1996 and no formal entry of new members until considerably after that.” Clinton should send Yeltsin a letter listing specific assurances and follow up with a personal message with the vice president Gore’s visit would be the best chance to get the NATO discussion on “a workable track.” Nick Burns sends this very sensitive and candid memo to Talbot personally by courier Talbott missed Budapest because of his involvement in the crisis in Haiti was partially blaming himself for the blowup The memo is based on Burns’ revealing conversations with Clinton on the plane and back in Washington Burns describes Clinton as feeling “really pissed off” that Yeltsin had “showed him up” with his public criticisms of U.S policy and says that “his anger grew when we returned to Washington” and saw how events were being treated in the news National Security Adviser Tony Lake said Clinton “did not want to be used any more as a prop by Yeltsin.” At the same time the memo shows Clinton’s sincere desire to do it right and his search for a way to square the circle—expand NATO and preserve a great relationship with the reforming Russia Clinton wonders “whether or not we should try to be more frank with the Russians” about the U.S even while being mad at Yeltsin for “dumping on us in public,” Clinton understands that “we must also deal with Russia’s real and legitimate security concerns about NATO expansion.” Burns expresses doubts about Talbott’s Mamedov channel because he did not give the U.S any warning of what Kozyrev and Yeltsin were planning to say Talbott’s note in the margin suggests Mamedov did not have that information himself extends the hand of reconciliation to Yeltsin but does not go as far in specific assurances as proposed by Pickering in his earlier cable (Document 10) stable and peaceful Europe in the next century.” Still the letter deemphasizes NATO expansion as a Clinton administration priority by putting it after “strengthened CSCE” in the list of U.S the letter lists all the Western institutions that Russia would become a part of Clinton states: “Our common aim should be to achieve a full integration between Russia and the West—including strengthened links with NATO—with no new divisions in Europe.” The letter expresses Clinton’s view that the U.S has adhered scrupulously to the pledge of “no surprises.” He is appealing to Yeltsin to keep their trusting relationship and to discuss this “most difficult issue that you and I will confront together” confidentially rather than publicly Greatly relieved by the successful visit to Russia by Vice President Gore Clinton sends this letter to Yeltsin reiterating his “strong commitment both to the U.S.-Russia partnership and to the goal of a stable integrated and undivided Europe” and restating the September commitment that “the future development of NATO will proceed gradually and openly.” Having left this “rift” behind and Russia can now concentrate on substantive discussions about the “most important and sensitive question” of European security Clinton pledges that he will “continue to take the lead to ensure that a strong Russian economic program is accompanied by large-scale Western support.” And above all—what Yeltsin wants to hear most—the letter is filled with occurrences of the word “partnership” and praise for what this partnership had achieved so far In other words—a lot of nice generalities but no candid or specific message on NATO expansion The great irony of this letter is that it was sent just three days after Defense Secretary Perry found out at the December 21 debriefing session with Gore that the president was committed to a rapid expansion of NATO right after 1996 rather than taking the much slower route through the Partnership for Peace [1]For the most expert academic analysis Inheriting the Bomb: The Collapse of the USSR and the Nuclear Disarmament of Ukraine (Johns Hopkins University Press Budjeryn shows that Ukraine chose denuclearization for many reasons not least its own sovereignty and international standing the traumatic legacy of the Chernobyl disaster and also forgiveness of oil and gas debts and the acknowledgement that the fissile material in the warheads belonged to Ukraine and would be down-blended and returned to fuel Ukrainian nuclear power plants [3] For the inside view from the rocket expert, national security adviser to President Kuchma, and future head of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences who conducted cost-benefit analyses supporting Ukraine’s diplomacy, see Volodymyr Horbulin, “Nuclear Disarmament of Ukraine,” pp My Journey In The Looking Glass (Kyiv: Bright Books [4] See especially James Goldgeier Decision to Enlarge NATO (Brookings Institution Press for a detailed interview-based account of the inside game [5] For Secretary of Defense William Perry’s deep regrets that the U.S chose NATO expansion over continuing with the Partnership for Peace see his memoir, My Journey at the Nuclear Brink (Stanford [6] Bill Clinton, My Life (New York: Knopf [7] For Clinton’s promise to Yeltsin see Strobe Talbott, The Russia Hand: A Memoir of Presidential Diplomacy (New York: Random House [8] For Gore’s talking points see Svetlana Savranskaya and Tom Blanton, “NATO Expansion: What Yeltsin Heard,” National Security Archive Electronic Briefing Book No Gore said any NATO expansion would be gradual and not in 1995 “when you’ll have parliamentary elections.” The spaceship metaphor is in Strobe Talbott, The Russia Hand Budapest Memorandum MythsStanford UniversityDec 3 NATO Expansion – The Budapest Blow Up 1994Nov 24 Nuclear Weapons and UkraineDec 5 Budapest Memorandum at 25: Between Past and FutureThe Belfer CenterMar 2020 The Trilateral Process: The United States, Ukraine, Russia and Nuclear WeaponsThe Brookings InstitutionMay 9 NATO Expansion: What Yeltsin HeardMarch 16 NATO Expansion: What Gorbachev HeardDec 12 Gelman LibraryThe George Washington University2130 H Street Phone: 202/994-7000Fax: 202/994-7005Contact by email     ​ support our work - donate The National Security Archive is committed to digital accessibility. If you experience a barrier that affects your ability to access content on this page, let us know via our Contact form Contents of this website (c) The National Security Archive 1985-2025For educational or noncommercial use contact the Archive using the form above for permission Florence Pugh has confirmed that she will return as Princess Irulan in Dune: Messiah the highly anticipated third installment of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune saga Pugh revealed she will start filming her scenes this summer though she remained tight-lipped about specific plot details Filming for Dune: Messiah will again take place at Origo Studios in Budapest continuing the strong connection between the Dune franchise and Hungary which also hosted production for the first two films becomes a central figure in Frank Herbert’s Messiah novel as Paul Atreides’ Imperial Consort Villeneuve previously hinted at expanding Pugh’s role significantly for the new film describing Irulan as one of the main characters in the story familiar characters like Zendaya’s Chani and Anya Taylor-Joy’s Alia are expected to have expanded roles Robert Pattinson is reportedly in talks to join the cast The Dune films have been a major success for Villeneuve and Warner Bros. earning over $1.1 billion globally and winning eight Academy Awards across the first two installments Dune: Messiah is scheduled to open in theaters on December 18 Though Villeneuve has confirmed this will be his final Dune film reportedly plans to continue the franchise possibly with Gareth Edwards (Rogue One) stepping in as director for future installments Ukraine gave away Russia’s “leftovers” of nuclear weapons under the Budapest memorandum The statement is manipulative in several aspects On March 25, Richard Grenell wrote (archive) on X:  Let’s be clear about the Budapest Memorandum: the nukes were Russia’s and were leftovers Experts from many countries within the Soviet Union were participating in the development and maintenance of nuclear weapons when the Union existed.  The number of Ukrainian strategic enterprises engaged into the Soviet military-industrial complex and participating in the nuclear program was huge “Khartron” and Instrument-Making Plant in Kharkiv nuclear weapons that have been developed or stores on the territories of Ukraine and Russia after the dissolution of Soviet Union belonged to the former Soviet Union — but not Russia Then, the Budapest Memorandum Grenell refers to doesn’t include any mention of the agreements about the transfer of Ukraine’s nuclear weapons to Russia or other countries This international agreement is dedicated to Ukraine getting safety guarantees after becoming a non-nuclear-armed state Nuclear disarmament of Ukraine began in 1991 after Ukraine gained independence The process was followed by various diplomatic events and international agreements In October 1991, Ukraine adopted a statement on the country’s non-nuclear state status, which said that Ukraine will continue to comply with the policy directed at complete obliteration of nuclear weapons and their components based on its territory The statement says that nuclear weapons of the former Soviet Union controlled by the corresponding structures are located on Ukraine’s territory At the end of December of the same year, Ukraine signed the Agreement on Strategic Forces (archive) with the Commonwealth of Independent States between countries of the former USSR The agreement says that the nuclear weapons located on the territory of Ukraine are subject to complete destruction until the end of 1994 and that tactical nuclear weapons in particular should be destroyed by July 1 all tactical nuclear weapons were transferred from Ukraine to Russian manufacturing facilities to be disassembled Another important stage of Ukraine’s nuclear disarmament is signing, on May 23, 1992, the Lisbon Protocol (archive) to support the 1991 Agreement (that still existed back then) between the USSR and the USA The statement says that the countries of the former Soviet Union where the nuclear weapons have been located — Belarus and Ukraine — as countries-successors to the former Soviet Union are obligated to follow this agreement and reduce and limit the number of strategic offensive weapons in their arsenals The countries (apart from Russia) confirmed their intentions to join the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons which aimed to encourage the goal of nuclear disarmament In autumn of 1993, Ukraine and Russia signed several agreements (so-called Massandra Accords — 1, 2) to regulate exploitation and utilization of nuclear weapons located on the territory of Ukraine Russia took up the responsibility for utilization of all nuclear weapons.  or “Memorandum on security assurances in connection with Ukraine’s accession to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.”  According to the Memorandum took up the obligations not only to respect the independence but also refrained from “economic coercion,” threatening force or using force against Ukraine’s territorial integrity or political independence The Memorandum also guaranteed that participant countries would not use their weapons against Ukraine except for cases of self-defense In the string of agreements towards nuclear disarmament there’s also a Three-sided statement (archive) that the USA and Russia signed in January 1994 about the transportation of nuclear weapons from Ukraine had to ensure the destruction of all nuclear weapons located on its territory during a seven-year period The term for the deactivation of missiles RS-22 (SS-22) (РС-22 (СС-24)) on the territory of Ukraine was set at 10 months since the statement was signed So: Ukraine really transferred Russia a part of its nuclear weapons within the program of nuclear disarmament but these weapons were gained by the former USSR The Budapest Memorandum is one of the international agreements signed within Ukraine’s nuclear disarmament but it doesn’t regulate the conditions of nuclear weapons’ transfer The memorandum was signed to provide Ukraine with “security guarantees” protecting from economic coercion or military aggression against Ukraine from the UK It’s a memorandum that Russia violated with the occupation of Crimea and has been violating for 11 years already and Ukraine didn’t “give them back” under the Budapest Memorandum Author: Anna Ormanzhy Subscribe to news from Kharkiv, UkraineMost important stories from the frontline region Google Facebook Or Register from Google Register from Facebook Or Website materials are permitted only with an active link to “GWARA MEDIA,” not lower than the third paragraph The use of digital platform content is allowed with textual attribution Content for documentary films and integrated products is permitted The site was modernized with the support of the European Endowment for Democracy in 2023 ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + 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Felipe Perrone and Pernille Blume attend unveiling of the new facility Distinguished members of the aquatics community today witnessed the historic grand opening of World Aquatics’ interim office in Budapest Hungary by President Husain Al-Musallam and the Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs Péter Szijjártó Four-time Olympic swimming medallist Chad le Clos six-time World Aquatics Championships water polo medallist Felipe Perrone and double Olympic medallist Pernille Blume were among the guests present at the event which marks a significant step on the road to World Aquatics’ transition to Budapest Athletes have been placed at the heart of the decision to move the World Aquatics headquarters and the ambition is to complete the transitional process in time for the 2027 World Aquatics Championships in the Hungarian capital The interim office is expected to house 25 new World Aquatics staff members They will oversee a state-of-the-art content studio which will help to bring athletes even closer to fans and the wider global aquatics community and elevate World Aquatics’ social media and digital content profile President Al-Musallam and Minister Szijjártó cut the ribbon to formally open the interim office before visiting the impressive new facilities President Al-Musallam hailed the significance of the interim office in paving the way for World Aquatics’ exciting relocation to a city with a rich history and bright future in aquatic sports “It is a huge honour to be here with Minister Szijjártó and our elite athletes to make this important step for our organisation and global community,” he said “Budapest has proven itself to be an outstanding host of our events and our athletes and we are delighted to be making notable progress on a move which will help to enhance the profile and further the development of our aquatics sports “The facilities at our new interim office are excellent and today’s opening is an important chapter in World Aquatics’ history.” World Aquatics’ Member Federations voted in favour of moving the federation’s headquarters from Lausanne Switzerland to Budapest at the World Aquatics General Congress 2023 in Fukuoka Budapest’s outstanding aquatics training and competition facilities include the Duna Arena and the Alfred Hajos National Swimming Stadium Hungary has a demonstrable record of delivering world-class aquatics events including the 2017 and 2022 World Aquatics Championships Budapest will again host the world’s leading athletes when it hosts the World Aquatics Swimming World Championships (25m) from 10-15 December The Championships are scheduled to return to Budapest in 2027 World Aquatics has a long and proud history in Lausanne and this will continue after the move to Budapest is completed At the World Aquatics General Congress 2023 members approved the establishment of a World Aquatics Foundation which will be based in Lausanne and the city will also be the home of the Aquatics Integrity Unit which provides independent oversight of all integrity-related matters in aquatics Driven by the vision of a world united by water for health World Aquatics is the international governing body for aquatic sports World Aquatics is an independent organisation formed of 211 National Federations and five Continental Organisations World Aquatics oversees six aquatic sports—swimming and high diving—and is recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the leading global authority on these sports Email: torin.koos@worldaquatics.com Aquatics’ Finest Hour: Budapest hosts a record-setting end to the 2024 season as athlete set 30 World Records and 63 Continental Records at the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) - Budapest 2024 15 December 2024; BUDAPEST (HUN) – The World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) came to a spectacular close at the Duna Arena after six thrilling days of competition that saw a record 30 World Records fall The USA claimed the Best Team Award with an impressive medal haul of 18 gold underscoring swimming’s global appeal and competitiveness Nine hundred eighty-five athletes from a record 195 countries competed in 45 medal events showcasing incredible talent over the six days highlighting the depth of teamwork and competition The Championships also saw 13 World Junior Records The rewriting of the record books started early Gretchen Walsh of the United States first stormed to an individual World Record of 24.02 in the Women’s 50m Butterfly heats She ultimately recorded 11 World Records – nine individual and two in relays by Championships’ end In addition to America’s Douglas, Smith and Walsh, Summer McIntosh of Canada had outstanding Championships with three golds  The 18-year-old also set three World Records and five World Junior Records in Budapest Noe Ponti stood out in the men’s field winning golds in the 50m and 100m Butterfly and the 100m Individual Medley while setting three World Records Ponti and Walsh walked away with the Best Male and Best Female swimmer awards of these Championships athletes were rewarded with a total prize money purse of US $2.875 million earned US $25,000 for each of their record-setting performances Athletes also earned $10,000 for winning a “Double Crown” by going undefeated in an event through the entire World Aquatics Swimming World Cup 2024 season and these Championships 319 swimmers earned $7.1 million at World Aquatics events Athletes earned $11.1 million at World Aquatics events in 2024 the most in the organisation’s 116-year history Over 36 hours of live sports broadcast and six daily highlight programmes produced by host broadcaster Visual Europe Production were distributed in over 150 territories World Aquatics also provided additional live digital coverage to ensure the event was available in every country World Aquatics President Husain Al-Musallam opened the final night of action from the pool by thanking the athletes organisers and supporters that packed the stands in Budapest “We have never seen anything like this before—a World Aquatics Swimming Championships with so many World Records their ability to deliver so many exceptional performances is truly remarkable “I also want to thank the organisers of these World Championships Your hard work has been a key factor in the athletes’ success,” added World Aquatics President Al-Musallam “You delivered an outstanding venue that provided everything our swimmers needed to excel and it’s clear the athletes love competing here “We are deeply grateful to our sponsors for their unwavering support Thank you for being part of this incredible journey thank you so much for being part of these World Championships Hungarian Swimming Federation President and event co-chair Sandor Wladar noted the lasting impact of Hungary hosting the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) for the first time “We set out to create a championship that would provide a truly unique experience and lasting memories for everyone—whether attending in person or watching the broadcasts worldwide This success is thanks to this incredible team—a perfect blend of experienced organisers and passionate volunteers—as well as the unwavering support of our partners with the Hungarian Government leading the way we delivered an event that set the highest number of World Records achieved at a World Swimming Championships (25m) This is what people have come to expect from Budapest and the iconic Duna Arena “We are deeply grateful to World Aquatics for their trust and partnership We simply did our best to live up to that trust and serve the sport we all love.”