Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said that the country will ensure Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s entry for a summit with US President Donald Trump scheduled in Budapest, as well as his return home after the meeting.
This was reported by Reuters.
The day before, Trump agreed to hold a second summit on the war in Ukraine in the Hungarian capital, noting that it could take place within the next two weeks. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán spoke with Trump on Thursday and with Putin on Friday, stating that preparations were “in full swing.”
“We will ensure that he arrives in Hungary, holds successful talks here, and then returns home. There is no need for any consultations with anyone — we are a sovereign country. We will welcome (Putin) with respect, provide him with hospitality, and create conditions for negotiations with the American president,” Szijjártó said.
Budapest’s decision has attracted particular attention because an arrest warrant for Putin has been issued by the International Criminal Court, from which Hungary is currently in the process of withdrawing. Moscow denies the ICC’s accusations, calling the warrant proof of the West’s hostility towards Russia.
The EU has stated that it welcomes a possible meeting if it can contribute to achieving peace in Ukraine, adding that sanctions against Putin include asset freezes but not a ban on travel to EU countries.
At the same time, Putin will have to circumvent the EU ban on Russian flights, imposed by Brussels after the 2022 invasion.
“A decision will have to be made either at the EU level or at the national level to allow the flight if that is where the meeting is planned,” said Jan Petchenik, communications director for flight tracking service Flightradar24.
According to Petchenik, the shortest route to Hungary would be through Poland and Slovakia, while a much longer route would be across the Black Sea and on to the EU via Romania.
According to n-tv, a spokesperson for the German Foreign Ministry said that during the meeting between dictator Putin and US President Donald Trump, Hungary must comply with the ICC statute and arrest the Kremlin leader.
The German Foreign Ministry representative explained that although the Budapest government has announced its withdrawal from the ICC statutes, this decision will only take effect in April 2026, so Hungary remains obliged to execute the arrest warrant for Putin if he enters the country.
“Whether there can be exceptions due to possible peace talks between Trump and Putin, Hungary must agree directly with the ICC, as the court’s statute does not provide for such exceptions,” the publication says.